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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1 A Second Opinion “A Prescription for Wellness”
Chapter 3 Nutrition, the RDA, and Obesity
Chapter 6 Enzymes, Cofactors, and Coenzymes:
Chapter 10 Fiber and Intestinal Flora
Chapter 13 Fat Production and Dietary Fats
Chapter 15 Additional Supplementation: i26
Chapter 16 Summary (including information on "Fit")
Introduction:
We in North America are plagued by a diet unparalled in time or place. The “Standard American Diet”, high in caloric intake and low in nutritional value, is filled with empty calories. It is ladened with undernourished, over processed, highly preserved, fiber poor foods. Lab rats, who would have survived and thrived on the whole wheat breads of our ancestors, now perish when provided a diet based solely on our new and improved, vitamin enriched breads. Only in the past 100 years has man been eating refined flours, refined sugars, and synthetic food chemicals.
At the turn of the 20th century, in the early 1900’s, man consumed approximately 3 pounds of sugar per year. We now consume about 140 pounds of raw sugar per year, which equates to 41 teaspoons per day. This doesn’t even take into consideration all of the refined flour, which, except for a small amount of nutritional value, converts to pure sugar (glucose) in the blood, which if not used immediately (burned as fuel), is stored, with the help of insulin, as fat (reserve fuel for our bodies). We also consume an inordinate amount of sugar (40 to 50 pounds per year) in the form of fructose (fruit sugar) and in lactose (milk sugar).
One hundred years ago there were approximately 50 different food products available for consumption. We now have over 500 products to choose from, most of them being of low nutritional value.
A very large percentage of the calories that we consume daily are derived from high sugar and refined flour products, making it very possible to be overweight and undernourished.
Empty calories are responsible for a great many of our worst diseases. It should be recognized that our “ Standard American Diet”, filled with empty calories and low nutritional value can be associated with tooth decay, obesity, Diabetes Mellitus , and many coronary diseases.
Our intention in writing this book is to offer to you, the reader, a tremendously viable diet plan. We wish to submit for your approval, a lifestyle change, “A Prescription for Wellness” that, if adopted will be the most effective and revealing diet that can be envisioned.
Within this book we will discuss many aspects involved in achieving “good health”, as opposed to “normal or average”. Our major premise is that if provided the opportunity our body’s intent is to function smoothly and efficiently. One’s responsibility is to provide one’s body with the means to thrive and survive: By providing the required nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins, amino acids, etc) and by not overburdening the body with harmful products which subvert it’s functioning (carbohydrates and sugars) we can allow our bodies the opportunity to perform their intended function, that of keeping all of our parts in perfect working order by establishing a homeostasis (perfect balance).
I wish to thank Dr. Robert Atkins who attempted, throughout his life, to make people aware of the health imbalances that would occur if we continued to hold fast to the precepts of “The Standard American Diet”; A diet which adheres to a carbohydrate based food pyramid, does very little to improve the health of the masses, has become a financial empire, and is represented by powerful special interest groups. I also wish to commend Dr. Atkins for the innovative work that he initiated in controlling diabetes with changes in one’s diet.
We wish to dedicate this book to all of the people who are looking to achieve better heath and a renewed wellbeing. May the disclosure of this viable prescription for weight loss and improved health, be well understood and well received.
Forward / Mission
Our desire in writing this book is not only to give you a blueprint of an eating method capable of inducing weight lose, but to also describe how and why the body works, what foods it needs to accomplish certain wellness goals, which foods harm the body, and which foods are good for our continued health and well being. We wish to suggest an eating plan that will bring about many healthful changes to one’s entire bodily system, and allow one, as an indication of a successful prescription, to accomplish their desired weight loss goals, lower cholesterol, and help to stabilize sugar levels in a very satisfying manner.
Let us begin with the premise that every diet can produce weight loss: It then follows, that all diets are valid, all diets can work, exercise can work, starvation can work, and the idea that our bodies are a delicate balance of the calories that we burn vs. the calories that we consume is indeed true.
If any diet can work, it seems reasonable to assume that one’s diet of choice should be one that allows you to eat enough food to avoid hunger, be easy to follow, be healthy, and accomplish your weight loss goals.
We can accomplish so much more by not having to continually fuel our little fire with scraps, constantly worrying that it will go out, continually feeling that there must be something missing, but having no idea what it is.
This is exactly what we do when we eat sugar and to an equal extent carbohydrates, which turn to sugar when digested. High sugar consumption plays much responsibility in diabetes, heart disease, tooth decay, obesity, and many other debilitating diseases.
We can empower our body to burn cholesterol by depriving it of sugar and restricting carbohydrates; compelling it first to burn the most available fuel, the fats present in our blood stream. (Imagine no harmful excess fat in our arteries or veins, no more arteriosclerosis, no more hardening of the arteries, no more plack, no more high blood pressure, a better heart, better organ function, no more gout, no more bad circulation, a renewed stamina, better mental clarity and emotional stability, no more sugar induced “peaks and valleys”, a more manageable hunger (less cravings), and no more bad cholesterol.)
After the blood is purified, the body would then be forced to go into our storage supply, our fat deposits, for energy and we would start to burn off excess fat, which is of course what we intended to do in the first place.
It has been shown that lypolisis (fat burning) will occur with in 2 to 3 days of sugar deprivation and carbohydrate restriction. Keytone Strips, when placed in the urinary stream, will turn varying shades of purple, indicating the level of fat melting that is being achieved.
By eliminating all sugars and restricting the amount of carbohydrates consumed to about 20 grams per day, lypolisis (fat melting) will occur: One should lose approximately 10 pounds within the first 2 weeks and then conservatively 10 pounds per month, which would equate to fifty or sixty pounds in 5 or 6 months and 100 to 120 pounds per year.
This weight reduction program is also easy and satisfying, because one never has to be hungry: There are literally no restrictions on the quantity of meat, fish, chicken, eggs, and cheese that may be consumed on this program and very few restrictions on vegetables.
HOW MUCH WEIGHT DO YOU WANT TO LOSE?
HOW GOOD DO YOU WANT TO FEEL?
Originally, I referred to this diet as the “Wellness Diet” but as time has passed and I have experienced the subtitles and the implications of the program it became obvious that it was far more than just a diet. It has, for me, precipitated dramatic lifestyle changes, and induced major attitude adjustments. My hopes are that my “Prescription for Wellness” will, as has been the case with many others, help you to achieve your weight loss and wellness goals.
One day, I heard of a remarkably unbelievable diet:
One in which I never had to be hungry, could eat almost all of my favorite entrees, had no restrictions on the amount of permissible foods to be eaten, and offered many health benefits in addition to those normally associated with weight loss.
I started this diet, following its precepts to the letter: Eating greater amounts of food, never allowing myself to be hungry, and snacking just to snack. Within six months I had lost sixty pounds, and felt very good throughout the entire process. I had a greater amount of energy, more emotional stability, a significant drop in cholesterol, and better health.
It seems that I am carbohydrate intolerant, which means that my body burns smaller amounts of sugars and carbohydrates than do those of some others. Excess amounts of sugars and carbohydrates store themselves as fat, (reserve fuel used to produce energy).
I remedied my situation by adjusting the intake of the offending foods, enabling my body to use my stored reserves (fat, see chapter 13) for energy, and I accomplished this without jeopardizing my health…To the contrary, my health and stamina improved.
Ten years later, I am on a modified version of this diet. I am adding enough additional carbohydrates to stabilize my weight, which is great ‘cause I enjoy breads, pasta, potatoes, and rice. The reality is however that sugars and refined carbohydrates have little or no nutritional value and are neither essential to ones health or survival.
I have established a “cut off point”, and do not allow myself to gain any more than ten pounds, before going back on the original diet. For example, one holiday season I could not bare the thought of not enjoying all of the tantalizing candies and baked goods that were available, so I threw caution to the wind and celebrated for a month. To my dismay, although expected, I put on an extra 10 pounds. I immediately went back on the original diet and within a month I had lost all of the extra weight.
This “prescription” should be adopted by anyone desiring a healthier dietary regime. The ability to satisfy one’s hunger, while controlling one’s weight, is reason enough to try this diet. However when one realizes the additional implications to this extremely healthy program, one may decide to not just “go on a diet”, but consider it to be a prudent lifestyle decision.
I invite you to further inspect my “Prescription for Wellness”. To consider the implications of the diet and to possibly, “give it a try”. My hopes and prayers are that it might afford you greater health and a renewed zest for life.
The primary reason for involving oneself in this program should be the desire for a better, healthier, happier, and more productive life. The weight loss will surely occur, but this should be seen as a secondary consideration, the least important result of the diet: A visual conformation that the “Prescription” is working.
Chapter II:
Food Pyramid
Every five years, The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services) release dietary guidelines that provide nutritional advice to Americans. These guidelines are meant to serve as the basis for the familiar "Food Guide Pyramid" (see figure below) that categorizes foods and suggests the number of servings people should eat from each food group.
The pyramid shape indicates the proportions that various food groups should contribute to daily consumption. For example, food groups at the wide base of the pyramid are to be eaten in greater quantity than food groups that appear toward the narrower top.
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As one can see, the “favored” group (the base of the pyramid) is comprised of grains and baked goods (fillers).
Over the past two decades, dietary recommendations have emphasized the growing importance of consuming 6 to 11 servings of carbohydrates per day. As greater and greater amounts of high caloric, low nutritional foods (breads, pastas, potatoes, cereals, and rice) have been recommended to be ingested, the instances of obesity, diabetes, cardiac disease, general malaise, and poor heath conditions increase. Even the most traditional health care providers feel that the current guidelines promote an overconsumption of carbohydrates.
Dr. Atkins original diet, first proposed in the late sixties, eliminated the consumption of sugar and carbohydrates were limited to a maximum of 20 gram per day. Needless to say, his recommendations were met with great opposition and critism. (I strongly suggest a review of his publications and official website www.atkins.com )
His proposals set the Medical, Educational, and Nutritional establishment “on their ears”, not to mention the social and financial implications involved in suggesting that a diet based on refined carbohydrates and high sugar foods was an imperfect model that contributed to a myriad of catastrophic diseases.
The repercussions involved in turning the “Food Pyramid” upside down are immense; suggesting that a revision of the “Standard American Diet” be made; recommending that meats, eggs, chicken, seafood, and cheese should be the staples of the American Diet, rather than grains, sugars, and cereals is “earth shattering”. Imagine the enormous profits that would be lost if people decreased their consumption of breads, cereals, potatoes, corn, starchy vegetables, sugars, and deserts. (More than half of your grocery store is filled with these empty calorie, low nutritional foods.)
Revised food pyramid:
Chapter III:
The recommended daily allowance for vitamins is that which the government considers are our minimum daily needs. It is based on the average amount of vitamins present in individuals not showing any overt signs of vitamin deficiency. This is the criterion, an “average of the average”, with no other medical or therapeutic considerations.
To say that we, in North America, are vitamin deficient is an understatement. One might safely assume that 99% of all Americans are deficient in one or more vitamins, as evidenced by the growing number of disease states in which people are afflicted.
As we attempt to survive and thrive, burdened with poor diets, high in calories and low in nutrients, consisting of so much “junk food” providing a gross amount of empty calories, our health is understandably suffering.
It has been recently reported that this has been the first year in history that the proposed life expectancy for future generations is less than that of the present.
This is greatly due to the incidence of childhood obesity, which has reached epidemic levels in the United States and throughout the world. Experts estimate that one in five children between the ages of 6 and 17 are overweight. Millions of these children face a higher risk, much earlier in life, of developing obesity-related disorders, such as diabetes and heart disease.
It is estimated that 15%
of children are overweight and another 15% are at risk of becoming overweight,
and that two thirds of these overweight kids will become overweight adults.
The
prevalence of overweight among
children aged 6 to 11 has more than doubled in the past 20 years going from 7%
in 1980 to 18.8% in 2004. The rate among adolescents aged 12 to 19 more than
tripled, increasing from 5% to 17.1%. It is estimated 61% of overweight young
people have at least one additional risk factor for heart disease, such as high
cholesterol or high blood pressure. In addition, children who are overweight are
at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and
psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem.
Overweight young people are more likely than children of normal weight to become
overweight or obese adults, and therefore more at risk for associated adult
health problems, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types
of cancer, and osteoarthritis.
It is this author’s contention that it is impossible to eat enough food to provide oneself with the optimal amount of fortifying vitamins and necessary minerals to prevent disease and promote good health and longevity.
In a Senate document, written in 1937, it was stated that “sufficient amounts of minerals were no longer found to be present in the soil, and therefore adequate amounts of minerals could no longer be expected to be found in our food”.
Plants cannot produce minerals, they must absorb them from the earth, which has become mineral poor due to modern farming practices, in which the soil is depleted and not replenished.
Whether one is on a diet or not one must support one’s nutritional requirements with the addition of dietary supplements. “The body needs what the body needs” and although we may be able to fool ourselves into believing that we are getting all of the nutrients that our body’s demand, without supplimentation this is impossible to achieve, and disease will occur.
Chapter IV:
Diabetes:
Sugar and refined carbohydrates are undeniably linked to diabetes. Researchers around the world have come to the conclusion that the consumption of refined sugar is detrimental to the health of people without diabetes and disastrous for those with it. Furthermore, excess sugar in the blood can cause the onset of type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes is all about sugar; the sugar in our bodies known as blood sugar or blood glucose. Every cell in our bodies must have a constant source of glucose in order to fuel metabolism. Our cells use glucose to power processes such as growth and repair. When we eat a meal the digestive system converts much of our food into glucose, which is released into the bloodstream. The hormone insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas gland, moves glucose from the blood and funnels it into the cells so it can be used as fuel. If the cells are unable to get adequate amounts of glucose, they can literally starve to death. As they do, tissues and organs begin to degenerate.
v 16 million Americans have type 2 diabetes (6% of the population):
v 20% of the people over age 65 have diabetes:
v 13 million have "prediabetes":
v 1 in 3 people with diabetes don't know they have it:
v In children and teens, more than one-third of the new diabetes cases, are of the type 2 variety:
v The total cost of diabetes, in U.S. alone, is $98 billion:
Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness and kidney failure among adults. It causes mild to severe nerve damage that, coupled with diabetes-related circulation problems, often leads to the loss of a foot or leg. Diabetes significantly increases the risk of heart disease. And it's the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., directly causing almost 70,000 deaths each year and contributing to thousands more.
Type 1 diabetes, once called juvenile-onset or insulin-dependent diabetes occurs when the immune system attacks and permanently disables the insulin-making cells in the pancreas. It affects about one million Americans.
The other form of diabetes, type 2 diabetes, tends to creep up on people, taking years to develop into full-blown diabetes. It begins when muscle and other cells stop responding to insulin's open-up-for-glucose signal. The body responds by making more and more insulin, essentially trying to ram blood sugar into cells. Eventually, the insulin-making cells get exhausted and begin to fail. If the spread of type 2 diabetes continues at its present rate, the number of people affected in the United States will increase from about 14 million in 1995 to 22 million in 2025. Worldwide, the number of adults with diabetes will rise from 135 million in 1995 to 300 million in the year 2025.
In addition to the 16 million adults with type 2 diabetes, another 13 million have "pre-diabetes." This early warning sign is characterized by high blood sugar levels on a glucose tolerance test or a fasting glucose test. Whether pre-diabetes expands into full-blown type 2 diabetes is largely up to the individual. Information from several clinical trials strongly support the idea that type 2 diabetes is preventable. Excess weight is the single most important cause of type 2 diabetes. Being overweight increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes seven-fold. Being obese makes you 20 to 40 times more likely to develop diabetes than someone with a healthy weight. Losing 7-10% of your current weight can cut in half your chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
As any diabetic knows it is very dangerous when your “sugar gets too high”. One can think of sugar as a necessary poison in our blood. Our cells depend on a single simple sugar, glucose, for most of their energy needs. That's why the body has intricate mechanisms in place to make sure glucose levels in the bloodstream don't go too low or soar too high. Dangerously high sugar levels force the body to, with the help of insulin, take the glucose from the blood and store it in a protective way (as fat) to be used for energy at a later time.
When you eat, most digestible carbohydrates are converted into glucose and rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. Any rise in blood sugar signals the pancreas to make and release insulin. This hormone instructs cells to sponge up glucose. Without it, glucose floats around the bloodstream, unable to slip inside the cells that need it.
Diabetes occurs when the body can't make enough insulin or can't properly use the insulin it makes. If one consumes too much sugar and/or carbohydrates the body may be unable to produce enough insulin to correct excessive glucose levels and additional insulin supplementation will need to be initiated.
A low-carbohydrate diet provides the nutrients that people need without the excess carbohydrates that cause high blood sugar levels, that require high levels of insulin. Excessively high serum insulin levels are toxic to the body and carry a number of effects that reduce longevity.
Chapter V:
Vitamins:
Vitamins are nutrients you must get from food because your body can't make them from scratch.
Nutrition textbooks dryly define vitamins as organic compounds that the body needs in small quantities for normal functioning.13 compounds have been classified as vitamins.
Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) tend to accumulate in the body. They are stored in the fat tissues of your body and in your liver. When needed special carriers in your body transport them to the desired sites.
It is well documented, and my contention that man’s genetic potential for longevity is between 120 to 140 years of age. This of course, can only be accomplished by providing the body with all that it requires, not depriving it of the vitamins and minerals that it demands. I am convinced that our bodies were created to function as a well tuned, constantly correcting, and continually healing miracle of nature.
The "letter" vitamins sometimes go by different names.
These include:
Vitamin A = retinol, retinaldehyde, retinoic acid
Vitamin B1 = thiamin
Vitamin B2 = riboflavin
Vitamin B6 = pyridoxine, pyridoxal, pyridoxamine
Vitamin B12 = cobalamin
Vitamin C = ascorbic acid
Vitamin D = calciferol
Vitamin E = tocopherol, tocotrienol
Vitamin K = phylloquinone
The following is a listing of vitamins, offering a description of their importance, deficiency symptoms, a brief discussion of benefits, optimum intake suggestions, and rich-food sources:
Vitamin A:
(Beta Carotene, retinol, retinaldehyde, retinoic acid):
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS:
May result in night blindness; increased susceptibility to infections; rough, dry, scaly skin; loss of smell & appetite; frequents fatigue; lack of tearing; defective teeth & gums' retarded growth.
Vitamin A:
This vitamin plays a large part in eyesight. Vitamin A helps you see in color, too, from the brightest yellow to the darkest purple. Vitamin A however does much more than help you see in the dark. It stimulates the production and activity of white blood cells, takes part in remodeling bone, helps maintain the health of endothelial cells (those lining the body's interior surfaces), and regulates cell growth and division. In addition, it helps one grow properly and aids in healthy skin.
Optimal Intake:
The current recommended intake of vitamin A is 5,000 IU for men and 4,000 IU for women. Many breakfast cereals, juices, dairy products, and other foods are fortified with vitamin A. Many fruits and vegetables, and some supplements, also contain beta-carotene and other vitamin A precursors, which the body can turn into vitamin A. Intake of up to 10,000 IU, twice the current recommended daily level, is thought to be safe.
Foods rich in vitamin A are as follows:
B Vitamins and Heart Disease
There's more than one B vitamin: B1, B2, B6, B12, niacin, folic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid.
The B vitamins are important in metabolic activity; they help make energy and set it free when your body needs it. This group of vitamins is also involved in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body. Every part of your body needs oxygen to work properly, so these B vitamins have a really important job.
Foods are rich in vitamin B are as follows:
Folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 play key roles in recycling homocysteine into methionine, one of the 20 or so building blocks from which the body builds new proteins. Without enough folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12, this recycling process becomes inefficient and homocysteine levels increase. High levels of homocysteine are associated with increased risks of heart disease and stroke. Increasing the intake of folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 decreases homocysteine levels
VITAMIN B-1 (Thiamin)
VITAMIN B-2 (Riboflavin):
Vitamin B6:
(pyridoxine,
pyridoxal, pyridoxamine)
IMPORTANCE:
Vitamin B6:
A healthy diet should include 1.3 to 1.7 milligrams of vitamin B6. Higher doses have been tested as a treatment for conditions ranging from premenstrual syndrome to attention deficit disorder and carpal tunnel syndrome.
VITAMIN B-12 (Cobalamin)
IMPORTANCE:
Helps in the formation & regeneration of red blood cells, thus helping prevent anemia; necessary for carbohydrate, fat & protein metabolism; maintains a healthy nervous system; promotes growth in children; increases energy; needed for Calcium absorption.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS:
May lead to pernicious anemia, poor appetite, and growth failure in children, tiredness, brain damage, nervousness, neuritis, and degeneration of spinal cord, depression, lack of balance.
Vitamin B12 Recommendations:
The current recommended intake for vitamin B12 is 6 micrograms per day. Barely 100 years ago, a lack of vitamin B12 was the cause of a common and deadly disease called pernicious anemia. Its symptoms include memory loss, disorientation, hallucinations, and tingling in the arms and legs. Although full-blown pernicious anemia is less common today, it is still often diagnosed in older people who have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 from food. It's also possible that some people diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer's disease are actually suffering from the more reversible vitamin B12 deficiency
PANTOTHENIC ACID
IMPORTANCE:
Participates in the release of energy from carbohydrates, fats & protein, aids in the utilization of vitamins; improves the body's resistance to stress; helps in cell building & the development of the central nervous system; helps the adrenal glands, fights infections by building antibodies
BIOTIN:
FOLIC ACID:
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS:
May result in gastrointestinal disorders, anemia, Vitamin B-12 deficiency, and pre-mature gray hair.
Folic Acid and Cancer
In addition to recycling homocysteine, folate plays a key role in building DNA, the complex compound that forms our genetic blueprint. Observational studies show that people who get higher than average amounts of folic acid from their diets or supplements have lower risks of colon cancer and breast cancer. This could be especially important for those who drink alcohol, since alcohol blocks the absorption of folic acid and inactivates circulating folate. A high intake of folic acid blunts the increased risk of breast cancer seen among women who have more than one alcoholic drink a day.
Optimal Intake:
The current recommended intake for folic acid is 400 micrograms per day. There are many excellent sources of folic acid, including prepared breakfast cereals, beans, and fortified grains.
One of the advances that changed the way
we look at vitamins is the discovery that too little folic acid, one of the
eight B vitamins, is linked to birth defects such as spina bifida and
anencephaly. Getting too little folic acid increases a woman's chances of having
a baby with spina bifida or anencephaly and enough folic acid could prevent
these birth defects.
Enough folic acid, at least 400 micrograms
a day, isn't always easy to get from food. That's why women of childbearing age
are urged to take extra folic acid. It's also why the US Food and Drug
Administration now requires that folic acid be added to most enriched breads,
flour, cornmeal, pastas, rice, and other grain products, along with the iron and
other micronutrients that have been added for years.
Folic acid and two other B vitamins
may also help to fight heart disease and some types of cancer.
CHOLINE:
PABA (Para Amino Benzoic Acid)
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS:
May lead to soft & bleeding gums, swollen or painful joints, slow-healing wounds & fractures, bruising, nosebleeds, tooth decay, loss of appetite, muscular weakness, skin hemorrhages, capillary weakness, anemia, impaired digestion.
Vitamin C:
Vitamin C has been in the public eye for a long time. Even before its discovery in 1932, nutrition experts recognized that something in citrus fruits could prevent scurvy, a disease that killed as many as 2 million sailors between 1500 and 1800. Vitamin C plays a major role in controlling infections. Nobel laureate Linus Pauling promoted daily megadoses of vitamin C (the amount in 12 to 24 oranges) as a way to prevent colds and protect the body from other chronic diseases; it is also a powerful antioxidant that can neutralize harmful free radicals, and it helps make collagen, a tissue needed for healthy bones, teeth, gums, and blood vessels.
Foods rich in vitamin C are as follows:
Vitamin D (Calciferol):
IMPORTANCE:
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS:
May lead to rickets, tooth decay, softening of bones, improper healing of fractures, lack of vigor, muscular weakness, and inadequate absorption of calcium, retention of phosphorous in the kidneys.
If you live north of the line connecting San Francisco to Philadelphia, odds are you don't get enough vitamin D. The same holds true if you don't, or can't, get outside for at least a 15-minute daily walk in the sun.
Vitamin D helps ensure that the body absorbs and retains calcium and phosphorus, both critical for building bone. Laboratory studies also show that vitamin D keeps cancer cells from growing and dividing.
Some preliminary studies indicate that insufficient intake of vitamin D is associated with an increased risk of fractures, and that vitamin D supplementation may prevent them. Other early studies suggest an association between low vitamin D intake and increased risks of prostate, breast, colon, and other cancers.
Optimal Intake:
The current recommended intake of vitamin
D is 5 micrograms up to age 50, 10 micrograms between the ages of 51 and 70, and
15 micrograms after age 70. Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D. Good
sources include dairy products and breakfast cereals (which are fortified with
vitamin D), and fatty fish such as salmon and tuna. For most people, the best
way to get the recommended daily intake is by taking a multivitamin.
Which foods are rich in vitamin D?
Major anti-oxidant nutrient; retards cellular aging due to oxidation; supplies oxygen to the blood which is then carried to the heart and other organs; thus alleviating fatigue; aids in bringing nourishment to cells; strengthens the capillary walls & prevents the red blood cells from destructive poisons; prevents & dissolves blood clots; has also been used by doctors in helping prevent sterility, muscular dystrophy, calcium deposits in blood walls and heart conditions. Everybody needs E. This hard-working vitamin maintains a lot of your body's tissues, like the ones in your eyes, skin, and liver. It protects your lungs from becoming damaged by polluted air. And it is important for the formation of red blood cells. Promising observational studies, suggest that a 20% to 40% reduction in coronary heart disease risk among individuals can be achieved with vitamin E supplements (usually containing 400 IU or more) for least two years.
Optimal Intake:
The recommended daily intake of vitamin E from
food now stands at 15 milligrams from food. That's the equivalent of 22 IU from
natural-source vitamin E or 33 IUs of the synthetic form. Evidence from
observational studies suggests that at least 400 to 800 IU of vitamin E per day
are needed for optimal health. Since standard multivitamins usually contain
around 30 IU, a separate vitamin E supplement is needed to achieve this level.
Which foods are rich in vitamin E?
Nuts and seeds
Vitamin K (Phylloquinone):
Vitamin K is the clot
master!
Vitamin K helps make six of the 13 proteins
needed for blood clotting. Its role in maintaining the clotting cascade is so
important that people who take anticoagulants such as warfarin (Coumadin) must
be careful to keep their vitamin K intake stable.
Lately, researchers have demonstrated that vitamin K is also involved in building bone. Low levels of circulating vitamin K have been linked with low bone density, and supplementation with vitamin K shows improvements in biochemical measures of bone health. Women who get at least 110 micrograms of vitamin K a day are 30% less likely to break a hip as women who get less than that. Eating a serving of lettuce or other green leafy vegetable a day cut the risk of hip fracture in half when compared with eating one serving a week. Data shows an association between high vitamin K intake and reduced risk of hip fracture.
Optimal Intake:
The recommended daily
intake for vitamin K is 80 micrograms for men and 65 for women. Because this
vitamin is found in so many foods, especially green leafy vegetables and
commonly used cooking oils, most adults get enough of it. According to a 1996
survey, though, a substantial number of Americans, particularly children and
young adults, aren't getting the vitamin K they need.
Which foods are rich in vitamin K?
Antioxidants
Our cells must constantly contend with nasty substances called free radicals. They can damage DNA, the inside or artery walls, and proteins in the eye--just about any substance or tissue imaginable. Some are made inside the body, inevitable byproducts of turning food into energy. Others come from the air we breathe and the food we eat.
We aren't defenseless against free radicals. We extract free-radical fighters, called antioxidants, from food. Fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods deliver dozens, if not hundreds, of antioxidants. The most common are vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene and related carotenoids. Food also supplies minerals such as selenium and manganese, which are needed by enzymes that destroy free radicals.
During the 1990s, the term antioxidants
became a huge nutritional “buzz word”. They were promoted as wonder agents that
could prevent heart disease, cancer, cataracts, memory loss, and a host of other
conditions.
Ongoing trials of other antioxidants, such as lutein and zeaxanthin for macular
degeneration and lycopene for prostate cancer, are underway.
While most people get enough vitamins to avoid the classic deficiency diseases, relatively few get enough of five key vitamins that may be important in preventing several chronic diseases.
These include:
CHAPTER VI:
Enzymes, Cofactors, and Coenzymes:
Enzymes
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze (accelerate) chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process are called substrates, and the enzyme converts them into different molecules, the products. Almost all processes in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at significant rates. Since enzymes are extremely selective for their substrates and speed up only a few reactions from among many possibilities, the set of enzymes made in a cell determines which metabolic pathways occur in that cell.
Cofactors
Some enzymes do not need any additional components to show full activity. However, others require non-protein molecules called cofactors to be bound for activity. Cofactors can be either inorganic (metal ions and iron-sulfur clusters) or organic compounds, (flavin and heme). Organic cofactors can be either prosthetic groups, which are tightly bound to an enzyme, or coenzymes, which are released from the enzyme's active site during the reaction. Coenzymes include NADH, NADPH and adenosine triphosphate. These molecules act to transfer chemical groups between enzymes.
Coenzymes are small organic molecules that transport chemical groups from one enzyme to another. Some of these chemicals such as riboflavin, thiamine and folic acid are vitamins and cannot be made in the body and must be acquired from the diet.
The following Co-Enzyme is of significant importance:
Coenzyme Q-10 plays an important role in the production of energy within each cell of the human body.
Coenzyme Q-10 (Ubiquinone) is a naturally occurring cofactor in the electron transport chain, the biochemical pathway in cellular respiration, from which ATP and most of the body's energy are derived. Co Q-10 is considered essential for the health of all the body's cells, tissues, and organs. Coenzyme Q10 is found in every cell in the human body and is key to the process that produces 95% of the energy consumed at the cellular level.
Coenzyme Q-10 acts as part of another class of substances, known as enzymes. These important compounds are proteins found in plants, animals, and humans, all living things. Their role is to facilitate (to act as catalysts), in countless chemical reactions that take place in the human body. In essence, they make reactions happen without themselves being consumed in the reaction. When calcium is turned into bone, an enzyme makes the reaction possible, but the enzyme itself does not end up becoming part of the bone. When we digest our food, when we flex a muscle, when our heart beats, in some way an enzyme is playing a key role.
Enzymes consist of two parts, a protein portion made up of one of a variety of amino acids, and a cofactor portion that is either a mineral (like calcium, magnesium, or zinc) or a vitamin. When a vitamin, the vitamin is called a coenzyme.
Coenzyme Q10 is a naturally occurring vitamin-like molecule that has a structure similar to vitamin K. As part of an enzyme, it acts as a catalyst in the vital biochemical pathway that leads to cellular energy production. Specifically, every cell must have a special substance known as ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which provides all the cell's energy. The energy obtained from the food we eat is used to make this fuel for the cells, and when a cell needs energy, it breaks the bonds that hold the ATP molecule together. When this chemical bond is broken, it releases energy equivalent to approx. 7,000 calories, more than twice the energy a person consumes in an entire day. However, the body, at any given time, only stores enough ATP to sustain vigorous activity for 5 - 8 minutes. Thus, ATP must be produced constantly, and for this ATP to be produced, there must be a ready supply of CoQ10.
This explains why, in particular, COQ10 is found in high concentrations in muscle cells and especially in the muscles that form the heart - because the heart is constantly in motion, it creates a great demand for energy, and at the same time, a need for the CoQ10 to create it.
Various studies have found that as we age our body's supply of CoQ10 slowly diminishes. Clearly, it is beneficial to provide the body with an adequate supply of this important nutrient.
Coenzyme Q-10 is an important part of the "anti-oxidant network". Isolated in its pure form in 1957, researchers have found it to be an essential substance in cell respiration, electron transfer, and the control of oxidation reactions. A recent review of its therapeutic benefits suggests CoEnzyme Q10 may become a standard therapy for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, including angina pectoris and congestive heart falure. CoEnzyme Q10 deficiency has been reported in 60% to 96% of patients with gingivitis. Deficient levels of CoEnzyme Q10 have been found in diabetes mellitus, periodontal disease and muscular dystrophy. No serious side effects have been reported with long-term clinical use of CoEnzyme Q10.
CoQ-10 is the world's most comprehensive cardiovascular support supplement. It is also the best selling cardio-vascular prescription drug in Japan. It is widely recommended to repair heart damage and to boost the function of the heart, as well as in preventative use to safeguard against heart attacks and valve damage. It has also been shown to be
beneficial in breast and lung cancer, as well as helping to maintain cognitive function.
Although Coenzyme Q does occur naturally in all fruits and vegetables, it is difficult to get enough of it on a daily basis from food alone. Men who have proven coronary heart disease should consider taking 300mg of coenzyme Q a day, as should women with breast cancer, since this dosage has been shown to increase survival times in women with that disease.
CoQ-10 is an enzyme found in all cells of the body. It occurs naturally, and is the co-factor in the electron transport chain between cells. If it is lacking, the body's most important source of cellular energy is depleted, and many medical conditions are aggravated. It is most concentrated in the heart and liver, and is a vital component in the mitochondria, the body's metabolic factories.
It is a powerful antioxidant, scavenging free radicals, sitting in the membranes with Vitamin E, which it recycles to keep it most active.
It has been shown that enhancing the body's CoQ-10 can:
Ø Reduce many of the serious side effects of cholesterol and other prescription drugs such as Adriamycin, beta-blockers and psychiatric drugs.
Ø Reduce the effects of aging
Ø Aid in the recovery from a wide range of heart problems including angina pectoris, congestive heart failure and mitral valve prolapse.
Ø Can reduce blood pressure and blood lipids at 60 mg day.
Ø Assists chronic fatigue sufferers when administered at 100 to 300 mg per day.
Ø Assists in weight loss by stimulating mitochondria and thermogenic activity
Ø Treating chronic gum disease
Ø Building a strong immune system as a defense against all forms of disease
Ø May normalize blood sugar levels
Ø Help maintain a healthy brain
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is produced by the human body and is necessary for the basic functioning of cells. CoQ10 levels are reported to decrease with age and to be low in patients with some chronic diseases such as heart conditions, muscular dystrophies, Parkinson's disease, cancer, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS. Some prescription drugs may also lower CoQ10 levels.
CO-Q-10 offers many benefits. The “RDA recommended dose” is 30 mg. but a minimum dosage of 100mg. is needed for sever medicinal applications.
As with all things, any therapies should be discussed with your doctor prior to beginning.
CARDIOVASCULAR ENHANCER
Co-enzyme Q-10 is a fat soluble
vitamin-like substance that is found in minute amounts in a variety of foods and
although it is synthesized in all tissues, it is found in greater percentages in
the heart muscle.
Coenzyme Q-10 plays an important role in the production of energy within each
cell of the human body. Co-enzymes are co-factors upon which large and complex
enzymes absolutely depend for their function.
Co-Q-10 is the Co-enzyme for at least three mitochondrial enzymes, (mitochondria
are the power-plants of cells) as well as enzymes in other parts of the cell.
Mitochondrial enzymes are essential for the production of the high-energy
phosphate, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), upon which all cellular functions
depend. Co-Q-10 is critical in the Electron and Proton transfer function,
fundamental to all life forms - animals, plants and bacteria.
CoQ10 is known to be highly concentrated in heart muscle cells due to the high-energy requirements of this cell type. Specifically, congestive heart failure has been strongly correlated with significantly low blood and tissue levels of CoQ10. The severity of heart failure correlates with the severity of CoQ10 deficiency. CoQ10 appears to be a major treatable factor in the otherwise inexorable progression of heart failure
Disease states that involve immune dysfunction have been recognized to have low levels of Co-Q-10. Q-10 is a powerful antioxidant and can greatly reduce oxidative damage to tissues as well as inhibit oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Co-Q-10 protects the mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell, from free radical damage.
Co-Q-10 is “LIFE FORCE”:
Preliminary research suggests that CoQ10 causes small decreases in blood pressure (systolic and possibly diastolic). Low blood levels of CoQ10 have been found in people with hypertension, although it is not clear if CoQ10 "deficiency" is a cause of high blood pressure. CoQ10 is less commonly used to treat hypertension than it is for other heart conditions such as congestive heart failure.
Ø Alzheimer's disease
Promising preliminary evidence from human research suggests that CoQ10 supplements may slow down, but not cure, dementia in people with Alzheimer's disease.
Preliminary small human studies suggest that CoQ10 may reduce angina and improve exercise tolerance in people with clogged heart arteries.
Heart damage (cardiomyopathy) is a major concern with the use of anthracyclines, and CoQ10 has been suggested to protect the heart.
Several studies in women with breast cancer report reduced levels of CoQ10 in diseased breast tissue or blood.
Some studies report improved heart function (ejection fraction, stroke volume, cardiac index, exercise tolerance).
The effects of CoQ10 on exercise performance have been tested in athletes, normal healthy individuals, and in people with chronic lung disease.
Ø Gum disease (periodontitis)
Preliminary human studies suggest possible benefits of CoQ10 taken by mouth or placed on the skin or gums in the treatment of periodontitis. Improvements in bleeding, swelling, and pain are reported.
There is preliminary human study of CoQ10 given to patients within three days after a heart attack. Reductions in deaths, abnormal heart rhythms, and second heart attacks are reported
There is early data to support the use of CoQ10 in children with mitral valve prolapse.
Several studies have shown benefits of coenzyme Q10 in people who have been diagnosed with chronic heart failure (with or without cardiomyopathy), including in transplant recipients. Some studies report improved heart function (ejection fraction, stroke volume, cardiac index, exercise tolerance). In some parts of Europe, Russia, and Japan, CoQ10 is considered a part of standard therapy for congestive heart failure patients.
Several studies suggest that the function of the heart may be improved after major heart surgeries such as coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) or valve replacement when CoQ10 is given to patients before or during surgery.
There is limited evidence that natural levels of CoQ10 in the body may be reduced in people with HIV/AIDS.
There is early evidence that supports the use of CoQ10 in the treatment of increasing sperm count and motility.
There is initial data from one small trial to support the use of CoQ10 in the treatment of kidney (renal) failure.
There is fair evidence to support the use of CoQ10 treatment in migraine prevention or treatment.
COQ10 is often recommended for patients with mitochondrial diseases, including myopathies, encephalomyopathies, and Kearns-Sayre syndrome. Several early studies report improvements in metabolism and physical endurance in patients with these conditions after treatment with CoQ10.
Preliminary studies in patients with muscular dystrophy taking COQ10 supplements describe improvements in exercise capacity, heart function, and overall quality of life.
A national clinical trial with 80 Parkinson's disease patients has shown that high dosages of a naturally occurring compound, coenzyme Q10, slowed by 44 percent the progressive deterioration in function that occurs in the disease. The greatest benefit was seen in everyday activities such as feeding, dressing, bathing and walking.
Mitochondria produce the energy-containing molecules that supply energy to chemical reactions in cells; coenzyme Q10 plays an integral role in that process. Mitochondrial function is impaired in patients with Parkinson's disease and coenzyme Q10 levels are reduced in the mitochondria of Parkinsonian patients. In an animal model of Parkinson's disease Coenzyme Q10 was found to protect the part of the brain affected by the disorder. Coenzyme Q10 is also a potent antioxidant.
Coenzyme Q10 plays a crucial role in normal mitochondrial function both as a component of the electron transport chain, which makes cellular energy and as a molecule with antioxidant and pro-oxidant properties. Tissue coenzyme Q10 levels fall with aging. The normal lower levels of Coenzyme Q10 in older individuals may be a contributing factor in the progression of some diseases of aging.
Preliminary evidence suggests that CoQ10
does not affect blood sugar levels in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes,
and does not alter the need for diabetes medications (Co-Q-10 does not help
diabetes per se but diabetics can certainly take it without apprehension).
Uses based on tradition or theory
The below uses are based on tradition or scientific theories. Some of these conditions are potentially serious, and should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare provider.
Abnormal heart rhythms, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), antioxidant, asthma, atherosclerosis, Bell's palsy, blood flow disorders, breathing difficulties, cancer, cerebellar ataxia, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), deafness, gingivitis, hair loss (and hair loss from chemotherapy), heart irregular beats, hepatitis B, high cholesterol, immune system diseases, infertility, insomnia, kidney failure, leg swelling (edema), life extension, liver enlargement or disease, lung cancer, lung disease, macular degeneration, MELAS syndrome, metastatic disease, MIDD (maternally inherited diabetes mellitus and deafness), muscle wasting, nutrition, obesity, Papillon-Lefevre Syndrome, physical performance, prevention of muscle damage from "statin" cholesterol-lowering drugs, psychiatric disorders, QT-interval shortening; reduction of phenothiazine drug side effects, reduction of tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) drug side effects, stomach ulcer, swelling.
Drugs used to treat elevated cholesterol
levels, also block the biosynthesis of Co-Q-10 in the heart muscle, where it is
needed most.
Chapter VII:
Minerals are something that you find in the earth, but small amounts of some minerals are also in foods (red meat is a good source of iron, etc). Like vitamins, minerals help your body to grow, develop, function properly, and stay healthy. The body uses minerals to perform many different functions: building strong bones, transmitting nerve impulses, making certain hormones, and in maintaining a normal heartbeat.
There are two kinds of minerals: macro minerals (large) and trace minerals (small). The macro mineral group is made up of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, and sulfur. Our bodies require larger amounts of macro minerals than they do trace minerals. Trace minerals include iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, and selenium.
Because your body requires
nearly two thirds of all the elements currently known to man in order to
maintain health, keeping these minerals in balance is a complex yet incredibly
vital task. The events of everyday living demand a continual ingestion of
minerals.
Perhaps that is why an estimated 90% of Americans suffer a mineral deficiency or
imbalance.
Unfortunately in today's world, naturally occurring, nutrient-rich foods are
becoming a thing of the past. Eons of vegetation growth and aggressive modern
farming techniques have brought many of the
earth's minerals to the surface where they have been
washed away to the oceans.
Chemical and electrical processes are occurring within your body at every
moment. Processes that can only function correctly if the proper balance of
minerals is continually being supplied to your system. Iron for your blood,
sulfur for your muscles, calcium for your bones, and an aggregation of many
other elements in balanced trace amounts to ensure the proper function of your
body. The fact that the minerals are in a similar proportion as healthy, living
matter is a key.
One might wonder why,
except for the health benefits and enhanced metabolic function; minerals should
be discussed in this book on diets. The answer to that is “pica”, not the print,
but a situation that occurs when the body is lacking certain minerals and is not
aware of what it needs, but is acutely aware that something is missing and tries
to satisfy that need by uncontrollably eating. This can be demonstrated by a cow
chewing on bones, a goat gnawing on a can, a horse eating a wooden fence, a
pregnant woman, having minerals stripped from her by her fetus, displaying
unbelievable “cravings for exotic foods”, and a person getting up in the middle
of the night to get something to eat when they shouldn’t even be hungry.
The following are some minerals, their function, and some food sources:
Our bodies require larger amounts of macro minerals than they do trace minerals. Trace minerals include calcium, iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, and selenium.
Macro Minerals:
Calcium
Calcium is the top macro mineral when it comes to your bones. This mineral helps build strong healthy bones, and teeth.
Foods rich in calcium are:
Phosphorus:
Phosphorus is an essential mineral that is required by every cell in the body for normal function. The majority of the phosphorus in the body is found as phosphate (PO4). Approximately 85% of the body's phosphorus is found in bone.
Function
Phosphorus is a major structural component of bone in the form of a calcium phosphate salt called hydroxyapatite. Phospholipids are major structural components of cell membranes. All energy production and storage are dependent on phosphorylated compounds, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and creatine phosphate. Nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), which are responsible for the storage and transmission of genetic information, are long chains of phosphate-containing molecules. A number of enzymes, hormones, and cell-signaling molecules depend on phosphorylation for their activation. Phosphorus also helps to maintain normal acid-base balance (pH) by acting as one of the body's most important buffers. Additionally, the phosphorus-containing molecule binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells and affects oxygen delivery to the tissues of the body .
Deficiency
Inadequate phosphorus intake results in abnormally low serum phosphate levels (hypophosphatemia). The effects of hypophosphatemia may include loss of appetite, anemia, muscle weakness, bone pain, rickets (in children), osteomalacia (in adults), increased susceptibility to infection, numbness and tingling of the extremities, and difficulty walking. Severe hypophosphatemia may result in death. Because phosphorus is so widespread in food, dietary phosphorus deficiency is usually seen only in cases of near-total starvation. Other individuals at risk of hypophosphatemia include alcoholics, diabetics recovering from an episode of diabetic ketoacidosis, and starving or anorexic patients on refeeding regimens that are high in calories but too low in phosphorus.
Sodium is the primary electrolyte that regulates the extra cellular fluid levels in the body. Sodium is essential for hydration because this mineral pumps water into the cell. In turn, potassium pumps the by-products of cellular processes out of the cell, eventually eliminating these "wastes" from the body.
In addition to maintaining water balance, sodium is necessary for osmotic equilibrium, acid-base balance and regulation of plasma volume, nerve impulses and muscle contractions.
Potassium:
Potassium is an essential dietary mineral and electrolyte. The term electrolyte refers to a substance that dissociates into ions (charged particles) in solution, making it capable of conducting electricity. Normal body function depends on tight regulation of potassium concentrations both inside and outside of cells.
Function
Potassium is the principal positively charged ion (cation) in the fluid inside of cells, while sodium is the principal cation in the fluid outside of cells. Potassium concentrations are about 30 times higher inside than outside cells, while sodium concentrations are more than ten times lower inside than outside cells. The concentration differences between potassium and sodium across cell membranes create an electrochemical gradient known as the membrane potential. A cell's membrane potential is maintained by ion pumps in the cell membrane, especially the sodium, potassium-ATPase pumps. These pumps use ATP (energy) to pump sodium out of the cell in exchange for potassium. Their activity has been estimated to account for 20%-40% of the resting energy expenditure in a typical adult. The large proportion of energy dedicated to maintaining sodium/potassium concentration gradients emphasizes the importance of this function in sustaining life. Tight control of cell membrane potential is critical for nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction, and heart function.
Potassium is a mineral that helps the kidneys function normally. It also plays a key role in cardiac, skeletal, and smooth muscle contraction, making it an important nutrient for normal heart, digestive, and muscular function. A diet high in potassium from fruits, vegetables, and legumes is generally recommended for optimum heart health.
Having too much potassium in the blood is called hyperkalemia and having too little in the blood is known as hypokalemia. Proper balance of potassium in the body depends on sodium. Therefore, excessive use of sodium may deplete the body's stores of potassium.
Foods rich in potassium are:
Foods rich in magnesium are:
Green vegetables such as spinach provide
magnesium because the center of the chlorophyll molecule contains magnesium.
Nuts, seeds, and some whole grains are also good sources of magnesium.
The magnesium content of refined foods is usually low. Water can provide
magnesium, but the amount varies according to the water supply. "Hard" water
contains more magnesium than "soft" water.
Iron
Your entire body needs oxygen to stay healthy and alive. The body needs iron to transport oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Iron is important in the formation of hemoglobin, which is the part of your red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body.
Foods rich in iron are:
Iodine deficiency is the single most common cause of preventable mental retardation and brain damage in the world. It also decreases child survival, causes goiters, and impairs growth and development. Iodine deficiency in pregnant women causes miscarriages, stillbirths, and other complications. Children with IDD can grow up stunted, apathetic, mentally retarded, and incapable of normal movements, speech, or hearing. Globally, 2.2 billion people (38% of the world's population) live in areas with iodine deficiency and risk its complications.
Copper is the third most
abundant trace mineral in the body, and helps protect the cardiovascular,
skeletal, and nervous systems. It is needed to make an enzyme that keeps your
arteries from hardening and possibly rupturing, and for the production of
phospholipids, which help form the myelin sheath surrounding the nerves. The
body also has to have copper to produce the powerful antioxidant, Superoxide
Dismutase (SOD).
Copper plays a key role in the development and maintenance of healthy skin and
hair. The body needs copper to produce the skin pigment melanin, which colors
the skin, hair, and eyes. When hair turns gray due to copper deficiency, taking
copper supplements may reverse the process. Copper also helps regulate the
function of Lysol oxidase, an enzyme needed for the creation of collagen in the
bones, connective tissues, and skin.
Copper helps the body fight cardiovascular disease. It
promotes low cholesterol levels, and discourages the development of
atherosclerosis and aortic aneurysms by keeping collagen and elastin fibers
healthy. Heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias) and high blood pressure have been
linked to an absence of copper in the diet. Copper also helps supply the heart
with healthy, oxygenated blood. It works together with iron in the respiration
and synthesis of hemoglobin. In fact, copper is believed to be necessary for
proper storage, use, and release of the iron needed to produce hemoglobin in red
blood cells. For this reason, copper is sometimes used to treat anemia.
Approximately 50 percent of the body’s total copper content is found in the
bones and muscles. Copper is a common treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and
osteoporosis—because it helps promote healthy collagen in the body, copper may
relieve aching joints and minimize loss in mineral bone density.
Zinc:
IMPORTANCE:
Is an antioxidant nutrient; necessary for protein synthesis; wound healing; vital for the development of the reproductive organs, prostate functions and male hormone activity; it governs the contractility of muscles; important for blood stability; maintains the body's alkaline balance; helps in normal tissue function; aids in the digestion and metabolism of phosphorus.
Foods rich in zinc are:
The immune system, which is our body's system for fighting off illnesses and infections, is adversely affected by even moderate degrees of zinc deficiency. Severe zinc deficiency depresses immune function. Zinc is required for the development and activation of T-lymphocytes, a kind of white blood cell that helps fight infection. It also helps with cell growth and wound healing.
Signs of zinc deficiency include growth retardation, hair loss, diarrhea, delayed sexual maturation and impotence, eye and skin lesions, and loss of appetite. There is also evidence that weight loss, delayed healing of wounds, taste abnormalities, and mental lethargy can occur. May result in delayed sexual maturity, prolonged healing wounds, white spots on finger nails, retarded growth, stretch marks, fatigue, decreased alertness, susceptibility to infections
Manganese:
Chromium is an essential trace mineral that helps the body maintain normal blood sugar levels. In addition to its well-studied effects in diabetes, preliminary research has found that chromium supplementation also improves glucose tolerance in people with Turner’s syndrome—a disease linked with glucose intolerance. Chromium may also play a role in increasing HDL (“good”) cholesterol, while lowering total cholesterol levels.
Carbohydrates are also known as saccharides, which in Greek derivation means, “sugar”. These sugars are responsible for producing energy in our bodies, however if the energy is not used immediately, because an over abundance of sugar in our blood becomes a toxic poison, it must be stored as fat (glycogen, energy reserved for later use). The simplest form of carbohydrates are known as monosaccharides, which can be found in hone (glucose), milk (galactose), and in fruits (fructose).
During digestion, all carbohydrates are broken down in the intestines into their simplest form, sugar which then enters the blood. As blood sugar levels rise, the body's normal response is to increase levels of the hormone insulin in the bloodstream. Insulin, which is released by the pancreas, helps the body's cells use this sugar for energy, or store it (as fat) for later use. This, in turn, helps bring blood sugar levels down to normal levels.
The “Typical American Diet” is comprised of 300 to 400 grams of carbohydrates; this equates to 1200 to 1600 calories and is a whole days worth of calories, with no nutritional value. One, not even desiring to lose weight, should consume no more than 50 to 100 grams of carbohydrates per day and the dietary basis for the “A Second Opinion” calls for zero sugars and a maximum of 20 grams of carbohydrates per day.
The Prescription for Wellness is especially well suited for diabetics and persons with chronic respiratory problems.
Carbon Dioxide is the cellular byproduct of metabolism. Persons with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) tend to retain excessive amounts of Carbon Dioxide in the blood (PCO2) due to their inability to expel sufficient amounts through respiration. This causes an imbalance in the acid/ base homeostasis, making the blood overly acidic.
Of all of the foods that we consume, the burning of carbohydrates produce the highest level of carbon dioxide which only intensifies blood acidity (most bacteria thrive in an acidic environment).
Carbohydrates and the Glycemic Index
Diets filled with high-glycemic-index foods, which cause quick and strong increases in blood sugar levels, have been linked to an increased risk for both diabetes and heart disease. A number of factors determine a food's glycemic index. One of the most important is how highly processed it’s carbohydrates are. In highly processed carbohydrates, the outer bran and inner germ layer are removed from the original kernel of grain, which causes bigger spikes in blood sugar levels than would occur with less-processed grains. Whole-grain foods tend to have a lower glycemic index than their more highly processed counterparts. For example, white rice, which is highly processed, has a higher glycemic index than brown rice, which is less highly processed. (See Fiber for more information on whole-grain foods, Chapter 10)
A number of other factors influence how quickly the carbohydrates in food raise blood sugar levels, including:
Some foods that contain complex
carbohydrates, such as potatoes, quickly raise blood sugar levels, while some
foods that contain simple carbohydrates, such as whole fruit, raise blood sugar
levels more slowly
Remember however, a gram of carbohydrates is a gram of carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates and the Glycemic Index
High-glycemic Low-glycemic
| Potatoes Bananas White bread White rice French fries Refined breakfast cereals White spaghetti Soft drinks Sugar |
Most Legumes Whole fruits Whole Wheat, Oats, Bran Brown rice Bulgar, Barley Whole grain breakfast cereals Couscous |
Although the fine points of the glycemic index may seem complicated, the underlying message is fairly simple: whenever possible, you should replace highly processed grains, cereals, and sugars with minimally processed whole-grain products. And potatoes--once on the complex-carbohydrate, preferred list--should only be eaten occasionally because of their high glycemic index.
High
Carbohydrate/Very Low-Fat Diets
For years, you've probably heard the advice to cut back on the total amount of fat you eat and to consume more complex carbohydrates. And thousands of "low-fat" alternatives now crowd the supermarket shelves. It's easy to fall into the "low-fat trap." Because fat, gram-for-gram, has more than twice as many calories as either protein or carbohydrates, it seems logical that choosing low-fat products would help with weight loss. However, all too often the low-fat products on supermarket shelves are packed with sugar to make up for the taste that's lost when fat is removed.
While people think that a low-fat alternative will hasten weight loss, it often has just as many calories as the full-fat version--and may even have more. In addition, many people mistakenly think that because a food is low in fat, they can eat as much of it as they want without gaining weight. But as far as the body is concerned, one calorie is the same as another, no matter where they came from.
Aside from weight loss, the popularity of low-fat food has broader implications for health. Many people are increasing the amount of carbohydrates in their diets, particularly in the form of sugars, and as we know from the discussion of the glycemic index, doing so may lead to increases in heart disease and diabetes.
Researchers have calculated that replacing a given number of calories from polyunsaturated fat with an equivalent number from carbohydrates increased the risk for heart disease by over 50 percent. And other studies have found that a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, particularly one high in sugars, can worsen blood cholesterol and triglycerides levels, both of which are risk factors for heart disease.
There are several different ways people with diabetes can manage their food intake to keep their blood sugars as close to normal as possible. One such method is carbohydrate counting. Carbohydrate counting is a method of calculating the grams of carbohydrate you eat at meals and snacks. The reason you focus on counting grams of carbohydrate is because carbohydrates tend to have the greatest effect on your blood sugar.
When you understand how to count grams of carbohydrates, you can have a wider choice of foods in your meal plan. It is easier to fit in combination foods such as soups and frozen dinners because you look at the grams of carbohydrate listed on the package, rather than trying to calculate how that particular food fits into the more traditional exchange meal plan. Also, some people find they can control their blood sugars more precisely.
Carbohydrate counting can be used by anyone with diabetes - not just people taking insulin. This method can assure that the right amount of carbohydrate is eaten at each meal and snack. Now that foods are more clearly labeled, it is easy to find the carbohydrate content of packaged foods.
This method is also useful for people who are using more aggressive methods of adjusting insulin to control their diabetes. The amount of meal and snack carbohydrate is adjusted based on the pre-meal blood sugar reading. Depending on the reading, more or less carbohydrate may be eaten. Likewise, insulin may be adjusted based on what the person wants to eat.
Step 2: Know your Carbohydrates
Most of the carbohydrates we eat come from three food groups: starch, fruit and milk. Vegetables also contain some carbohydrates, but foods in the meat and fat groups contain very little carbohydrates. This list shows the average amount of carbohydrates in each food group per serving:
|
|
Carbohydrate Grams |
|
Carbohydrate Grams |
|
Starch |
15 |
Vegetable |
5 |
|
Fruit |
15 |
Meat |
0 |
|
Milk |
12 |
Fat |
0 |
To make things easy, many people begin carbohydrate counting by rounding the carbohydrate values of milk up to 15. In other words, one serving of starch, fruit or milk all contains 15 grams of carbohydrates or one carbohydrate serving. Three servings of vegetable also contain 15 grams. One or two servings of vegetables do not need to be counted (exept they be filled with starch, or sugar). Each meal and snack will contain a total number of grams of carbohydrates.
Which will have the greater effect on blood sugar?
____ 1 tsp sugar or ____ 1/2 cup potatoes
The potatoes will contribute about 15 grams of carbohydrates, while a level teaspoon of sugar will only give 4 grams of carbohydrates. Therefore, the potatoes will have about three times the effect on blood sugar as compared to the table sugar.
| Food |
Amount |
Carbohydrate Grams |
|
|
1% fat milk |
1 cup |
12 |
|
|
Bran Chex |
2/3 cup |
23 |
|
|
Frosted Flakes |
3/4 cup |
26 |
|
|
Raisin Bran |
3/4 cup |
28 |
|
|
Bread/toast |
1 slice |
15 |
|
|
Sugar. White table |
1 teaspoon |
4 |
|
|
Pancakes - 4 inches |
2 |
15 |
|
|
Low-fat granola |
1/2 cup |
30 |
|
|
Yogurt, fruited |
1 cup |
40 |
|
|
Yogurt, fruit with
|
1 cup |
19 |
|
|
Fruit juice |
1/2 cup |
15 |
|
|
Banana |
1/2 |
15 |
|
|
Pancake syrup |
2 tablespoons |
30 |
|
|
Light pancake |
2 tablespoons |
4 |
|
|
Sample Breakfast |
|||
|
Food |
Carbohydrate Grams |
||
|
Fruit yogurt (with NutraSweet) |
19 |
||
|
Cinnamon-sugar toast - 1 slice with 1 teaspoon sugar and one teaspoon margarine |
19 |
||
|
Milk, 1/2 cup |
6 |
||
|
Carbohydrate total = |
44 |
||
A slice of white cake with chocolate icing (1/12 of a cake or 80 gram weight) will give you about 300 calories, 45 grams of carbohydrates and 12 grams of fat. That is three starch servings and over 2 fat servings.
It is important to realize that sugar is not the only carbohydrate that you have to "control." The body will convert all carbohydrates to glucose - so eating extra servings of rice, pasta, bread, fruit or other carbohydrates foods will make the blood sugar rise. Just because something doesn't have sugar in it doesn't mean you can eat as much as you want. Remember your “Second Opinion” calls for the ingestion of zero sugar and no more than 20 grams of carbohydrates.
Chapter IX:
Sugars
Sugar, (the word stems from the Sanskrit sharkara) consists of a class of edible crystalline substances. The average American consumes an astounding 2-3 pounds of sugar each week (100 to 150 pounds per year), which is not surprising considering that highly refined sugars in the forms of sucrose (table sugar), dextrose (high-fructose corn syrup), lactose (milk sugar), and fructose (levulose, or fruit sugar), are being processed into many foods such as breakfast cereal, mayonnaise, peanut butter, ketchup, spaghetti sauce, candy-bars, soft drinks, chips, snacks, fruit-juice, soups, ice-cream, jams, jellies, yogurt, many breads, and the list goes on (what we don’t subject our bodies to).
In the last 20 years, we have increased sugar consumption in the United States from 26 pounds to 135 lbs. of sugar per person per year. At the turn of the 20th century (1900), the average consumption was only about 3 pounds per person, per year. Cardiovascular disease and cancer was virtually unknown in the early 1900's.
One of sugar's major drawbacks is that it raises the insulin level, which inhibits the release of growth hormones, which in turn depresses the immune system.
An influx of sugar into the bloodstream upsets the body's blood-sugar balance, triggering the release of insulin, which the body uses to keep blood sugar at a constant and safe level. Insulin also promotes the storage of fat, so that when you eat sweets high in sugar, you're making way for rapid weight gain and elevated triglyceride levels, both of which have been linked to cardiovascular disease.
Reading the ingredient label on processed foods can help to identify added sugars. Names for added sugars on food labels include:
Ø Brown sugar
Ø Corn sweetener
Ø Corn syrup
Ø Dextrose
Ø Fructose
Ø Fruit juice concentrates
Ø Glucose
Ø High-fructose corn syrup
Ø Honey
Ø Invert sugar
Ø Lactose
Ø Maltose
Ø Malt syrup
Ø Molasses
Ø Raw sugar
Ø Sucrose
Ø Sugar
Ø Syrup
Sugar and refined carbohydrates are undeniably linked to diabetes. Researchers around the world have come to the conclusion that the consumption of refined sugar is detrimental to the health of people without diabetes and disastrous for those with it. Furthermore, excess sugar in the blood can cause the onset of type 2 diabetes.
In addition to throwing off the body's homeostasis, excess sugar may result in a number of other significant consequences.
The following is a listing of some of sugar's metabolic consequence:
Ø Sugar can suppress your immune system and impair your defenses against infectious disease.
Ø Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in your body: causes chromium and copper deficiencies and interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
Ø Sugar can cause can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline, hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.
Ø Sugar can produce a significant rise in total cholesterol, triglycerides and bad cholesterol and a decrease in good cholesterol.
Ø Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function.
Ø Sugar feeds cancer cells and has been connected with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, biliary tract, lung, gallbladder and stomach.
Ø Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose and can cause reactive hypoglycemia.
Ø Sugar can weaken eyesight.
Ø Sugar can cause many problems with the gastrointestinal tract including: an acidic digestive tract, indigestion, malabsorption in patients with functional bowel disease, increased risk of Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.
Ø Sugar can cause premature aging.
Ø Sugar can lead to alcoholism.
Ø Sugar can cause your saliva to become acidic, tooth decay, and periodontal disease.
Ø Sugar contributes to obesity.
Ø Sugar can cause autoimmune diseases such as: arthritis, asthma, and multiple sclerosis.
Ø Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections)
Ø Sugar can cause gallstones.
Ø Sugar can cause appendicitis.
Ø Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.
Ø Sugar can cause varicose veins.
Ø Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users.
Ø Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
Ø Sugar can cause a decrease in your insulin sensitivity thereby causing an abnormally high insulin levels and eventually diabetes.
Ø Sugar can lower your Vitamin E levels.
Ø Sugar can increase your systolic blood pressure.
Ø Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
Ø High sugar intake increases advanced glycation end products (AGEs)(Sugar molecules attaching to and thereby damaging proteins in the body).
Ø Sugar can interfere with your absorption of protein.
Ø Sugar causes food allergies.
Ø Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
Ø Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.
Ø Sugar can cause atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
Ø Sugar can impair the structure of your DNA.
Ø Sugar can change the structure of protein and cause a permanent alteration of the way the proteins act in your body.
Ø Sugar can make your skin age by changing the structure of collagen.
Ø Sugar can cause cataracts and nearsightedness.
Ø Sugar can cause emphysema.
Ø High sugar intake can impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in your body.
Ø Sugar lowers the ability of enzymes to function.
Ø Sugar intake is higher in people with Parkinson's disease.
Ø Sugar can increase the size of your liver by making your liver cells divide and it can increase the amount of liver fat.
Ø Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney such as the formation of kidney stones.
Ø Sugar can damage your pancreas.
Ø Sugar can increase your body's fluid retention.
Ø Sugar is enemy #1 of your bowel movement.
Ø Sugar can compromise the lining of your capillaries.
Ø Sugar can make your tendons more brittle.
Ø Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
Ø Sugar can reduce the learning capacity, adversely affect school children's grades and cause learning disorders.
Ø Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha, and theta brain waves, which can alter your mind's ability to think clearly.
Ø Sugar can cause depression.
Ø Sugar can increase your risk of gout.
Ø Sugar can increase your risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Ø Sugar can cause hormonal imbalances such as: increasing estrogen in men, exacerbating PMS, and decreasing growth hormone.
Ø Sugar can lead to dizziness.
Ø Diets high in sugar will increase free radicals and oxidative stress.
Ø High sucrose diets of subjects with peripheral vascular disease significantly increases platelet adhesion.
Ø High sugar consumption of pregnant adolescents can lead to substantial decrease in gestation duration and is associated with a twofold-increased risk for delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant.
Ø Sugar is an addictive substance.
Ø Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.
Ø Sugar given to premature babies can affect the amount of carbon dioxide they produce.
Ø Decrease in sugar intake can increase emotional stability.
Ø Your body changes sugar into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch.
Ø The rapid absorption of sugar promotes excessive food intake in obese subjects.
Ø Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Ø Sugar adversely affects urinary electrolyte composition.
Ø Sugar can slow down the ability of your adrenal glands to function.101
Ø Sugar has the potential of inducing abnormal metabolic processes in a normal healthy individual and to promote chronic degenerative diseases.102
Ø I.V.s (intravenous feedings) of sugar water can cut off oxygen to your brain.103
Ø Sugar increases your risk of polio.104
Ø High sugar intake can cause epileptic seizures.105
Ø Sugar causes high blood pressure in obese people.106
Ø In intensive care units: Limiting sugar saves lives.107
Ø Sugar may induce cell death.108
Ø In juvenile rehabilitation camps, when children were put on a low sugar diet, there was a 44 percent drop in antisocial behavior.
Ø Sugar dehydrates newborns.
Ø Sugar can cause gum disease.
Eating the right foods can improve mental health; mood swings, panic attacks, anxiety and depression. When one cuts out excess sugars and limits carbohydrate intake to 20 grams per day, and forces the body to burn it’s reserve stores of fat, the real, strong levels of the body’s energy begin to come into play and one’s stamina and mental stability improves.
Sugar highs and lows/ peaks and valleys are done away with and the body begins to work more efficiently; thought processes are enhanced and the immune system, healing, and heart functions improve.
The use of sugar substitutes is very much encouraged on your “Prescription for Wellness” program and add much enjoyment to an otherwise sugarless diet. Remember iced and hot tea, coffee, and any other sugarless beverages may be consumed with no restriction.
The elimination of sugars will indeed improve ones health, and mental attitude. As an extra bonus, we will become happier and prouder of ourselves, because we were able to accomplish that which we originally set out to do, Lose Weight.
My hopes and prayers are that this new diet, this lifestyle change, this wellness program, this “Prescription for Wellness”, will afford to all: A better and longer life, a stronger and more positive mental attitude, more stamina and perseverance, less depression, and an ever increasing zest for life.
Chapter X:
Fiber and Intestinal Flora
Fiber is the part of the food that cannot be broken down by the enzymes in the digestive tract, so fiber passes through without being absorbed. Fiber helps shield the carbohydrates in food from immediate digestion, so the sugars in fiber-rich foods tend to be absorbed into the bloodstream more slowly.
Fibers have an intestinal cleansing action, which keeps the digestive tract clean. A diet rich in fiber is protective against a wide variety of diseases, including heart disease, cancer of the colon and rectum, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, phlebitis, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
The consumption of dietary fibers lowers blood cholesterol levels, prevents constipation, and helps to normalize blood glucose and insulin levels.
Fibers that are incompletely or slowly fermented by microflora in the large intestine promote normal laxation and are integral components of diet plans to treat constipation, and prevent the development of diverticulosis and diverticulitis.
A diet adequate in fiber-containing foods is also usually rich in micronutrients and nonnutritive ingredients that have additional health benefits. A fiber-rich meal is processed more slowly, which promotes earlier satiety, and is frequently less calorically dense and lower in fat and added sugars. All of these characteristics are features of a dietary pattern to treat and prevent obesity.
Maintenance of body weight in the inactive older adult is accomplished in part by decreasing food intake. Even with a fiber-rich diet, a supplement may be needed to bring fiber intakes into an adequate range to prevent constipation.
One should begin any health smart program by adding enough fiber to their diet. This is of the utmost importance because in the processed foods that we eat we normally do not get even half of the fiber that our body’s require. Our daily requirement of fiber is between 30 to 50 grams per day. Our “Standard American Diet” provides us with an average of 12 grams or 2¼ tablespoons per day.
It is no wonder that the “Standard American” is riddled with Colon Cancer, Diverticulitous and Cholitis.
Examples of fiber are:
Acts as a detoxifier by eliminating heavy metals and toxins from the body; slows down the absorption of sugar, lessens the severity of diabetes, is an excellent source of soluble fiber which lowers cholesterol levels and regulates blood pressure, reduces the risk of heart disease and prevents gallstones, contains anti-oxidant properties which protect the lining of blood vessels, and improves stool consistency.
Acts as a broom sweeping the colon of toxic material, metabolic waste, and dried mucus; is excellent food for "friendly bacteria" in the intestine; contains lignans that have anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-cancer properties; contains lecithin which breaks up fats and cholesterol; contains mucilage which aids digestion by increasing bulk and preventing constipation; reduces the risk of colon cancer; helps stabilize blood glucose levels; fights tumor formation; enhances cardio-vascular health; acts as a buffer for excess stomach acid.
A water soluble fiber that assists in lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels; keeps the gastrointestinal tract in good working order; helps prevent constipation, hemorrhoids, and diverticulitis; aids in weight loss; reduces plaque buildup by suppressing the adhesive molecules which make blood cells stick to artery walls; reduces the risk of colon cancer; removes toxins; regulates blood glucose levels; lowers blood pressure; improves stool consistency.
Contains mucilage that lubricates and cleanses the areas through which it passes; cleanses the large intestines and expels toxins; supplies pure bulk fiber that promotes normal bowel function; promotes a healthy colon; used to treat irritable bowel syndrome; reduces cholesterol and blood sugar levels; used to treat hemorrhoids and yeast infections.
Is a water-soluble fiber that helps diabetics maintain appropriate blood sugar levels; lowers cholesterol levels; keeps the gastrointestinal tract in good working order; contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. See
Is the reproductive area or embryo from which the seed germinates to form the sprout that becomes the green wheat grass. It is a nutritious super food rich in B-Vitamins, Vitamin E, enzymes, and minerals. It is also rich in Octacosanol, which has shown to lower blood cholesterol, improve energy levels, enhance endurance and stamina; quickens reflexes, sparks alertness, and improves oxygen utilization. Helps prevent heart disease, strokes, and cancer. Consist of 30% protein and 15% soluble fiber.
Your digestive tract is a complex ecosystem that's home to millions of microorganisms (intestinal flora), including more than 500 species of bacteria. Many of these bacteria are beneficial, performing essential functions, such as synthesizing certain vitamins, stimulating your immune system, and helping protect you from harmful viruses and “bad” bacteria.
Some of the bacteria that normally inhabit your intestinal tract are potentially dangerous. They are usually kept in check by beneficial bacteria unless the delicate balance between the two is disturbed by illness, or medications.
Antibiotics can be especially disruptive to intestinal flora (the bacteria that normally live in the colon) because they destroy beneficial bacteria along with harmful ones. Without enough "good" microorganisms, "bad" bacteria that are resistant to the antibiotic you received grow out of control, producing toxins that can damage the bowel wall and trigger inflammation.
Antibiotics first came into general use for soldiers during World War II. Since then, antibiotics have saved millions of lives. But like all drugs, antibiotics have side effects.
In addition to disrupting the balance of microorganisms in your digestive tract, antibiotics can also affect the following:
Ø Rate of digestion. Antibiotics, such as erythromycin, can cause food to leave your stomach too quickly, causing nausea and vomiting. Other antibiotics may increase intestinal contractions, speeding up the rate at which food moves through your small intestine and contributing to diarrhea.
Ø The breakdown of food. Antibiotics may affect the way your body metabolizes fatty acids.
If one is undergoing antibiotic therapy one should take the supplimentation of certain intestinal flora. This is possible by consuming certain yogurts (ones comprised of active living cultures) and/or taking probiotics (“friendly” bacteria (flora) that promote gastrointestinal health).
Ø
The four main species of
probiotics are:
Ø Lactobacillus acidophilus
Ø Bifidobacterium
Ø Lactobacillus paracasei
Ø Streptococcus thermophilus
Most can be purchased at any grocery store and all can be obtained via a health food store.
The breakdown of food by L. acidophilus leads to production of lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and other byproducts that make the environment hostile for undesired organisms. L. acidophilus also produces lactase, the enzyme that breaks down milk sugar (lactose) into simple sugars. People who are lactose intolerant do not produce this enzyme. For this reason, L. acidophilus supplements may be beneficial for these individuals.
Probiotics offer a variety of potential therapeutic uses. These include the following:
Prebiotics occur naturally in foods, but supplements provide a more concentrated source of this substance. Prebiotics are found in breast milk, onions, tomatoes, bananas, honey, barley, garlic and wheat.
The recommended doses of L. acidophilus vary depending on the health condition being treated. The following list provides guidelines for the most common uses:
Chapter XI:
Protein
Proteins provide the structure for all living things.
Each living organism is composed of protein; from the largest of animals, to the smallest of cells. In the human body, protein matter makes up the organs, muscles, ligaments, nails, hair, vital bodily fluids, and glands and these proteins are critical for the development of bones. Next to water, protein makes up the greatest portion of our body weight.
The hormones and enzymes that catalyze (cause or speeds a chemical change) and control all bodily processes are proteins. Proteins also assist in the exchange of nutrients between the cellular fluids and the tissues, blood and lymph. The genetic code contained in each cell’s DNA is actually information for how to make the cell’s protein.
Even though it sounds like it is just one substance, protein is really a combination of many chemicals called amino acids. The protein that we eat is broken down into amino acids, which the body then uses to build specific proteins needed for the body. Proteins are chains of amino acids that have been linked together. Each individual protein is composed of a specific group of amino acids, in a specific order. That specific order is what gives the proteins their exact functions and characteristics.
Scientists have found 20 different amino acids in protein, and these 20 amino acids can join together to make thousands of different proteins.
At least 10,000 different proteins make you what you are, and keep you that way. Each protein is made for a specific need. Proteins are not interchangeable.
Following genetic instructions, the body strings together amino acids. Some genes call for short chains, others are blueprints for long chains that fold, origami-like, into intricate, three-dimensional structures. Because the body doesn't store amino acids, as it does fats or carbohydrates, it needs a daily supply of amino acids to make new protein.
Some types of amino acids are made inside the body, these are called nonessential amino acids, of which there are 11. They are necessary, needed to keep your body functioning properly - but are not essential as part of the food you eat.
The essential amino acids, of which there are nine, must come from food. That is why eating foods with protein is of the utmost importance, we must give our body’s that which it needs, the amino acids. It's easy to get the protein your body needs. Protein is found in tasty, satisfying foods like meat, chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, cheese, lentils and peas!
Protein: Moving Closer to Center Stage
Adults need a minimum of 1 gram of protein for every kilogram of body weight per day to keep from slowly breaking down their own tissues. That's about 9 grams of protein for every 20 pounds.
Around the world, millions of people don't get enough protein. This protein malnutrition leads to the condition known as kwashiorkor. Lack of protein can cause growth failure, loss of muscle mass, decreased immunity, weakening of the heart and respiratory system, and death.
All protein isn't alike
Some of the protein you eat contains all the amino acids needed to construct new proteins. This kind is called complete protein. Animal sources of protein tend to be complete.
Other protein sources lack one or more
amino acids that the body can't make from scratch or create by modifying another
amino acid; these are called incomplete proteins, usually found in fruits,
vegetables, grains, and nuts. Vegetarians need to be aware of this difference.
To get all the amino acids needed to make new protein, and thus to keep the
body's systems in good shape, people who don't eat meat, fish, poultry, eggs, or
dairy products should eat a variety of protein-containing
foods each day.
Protein and chronic disease
Nuts for the Heart:
Many people think of nuts as just another junk food snack. In reality, nuts are excellent sources of protein and other healthful nutrients.
People who regularly eat nuts are less likely to have heart attacks or die from heart disease than those who rarely eat them. Several of the largest studies, have concluded that a consistent 30 percent to 50 percent lower risk of myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac death, or cardiovascular disease is associated with eating nuts several times a week.
There are several ways that nuts could have such an effect. The unsaturated fats they contain help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol. One group of unsaturated fat found in walnuts, the omega-3 fatty acids, appears to prevent the development of erratic heart rhythms. Omega-3 fatty acids (which are also found in fatty fish such as salmon and bluefish) may also prevent blood clots, much as aspirin does. Nuts are rich in arginine, an amino acid needed to make a molecule called nitric oxide that relaxes constricted blood vessels and eases blood flow. They also contain vitamin E, folic acid, potassium, fiber, and other healthful nutrients.
Dietary Sources of Protein
| FOOD | SERVING SIZE | WEIGHT in grams | PROTEIN in grams | % Daily Value |
| Hamburger, extra lean | 6 ounces | 170 | 48.6 | 97 |
|
Chicken, roasted |
6 ounces |
170 |
42.5 |
85 |
|
Fish |
6 ounces |
170 |
41.2 |
82 |
|
Tuna, water packed |
6 ounces |
170 |
40.1 |
80 |
|
Beefsteak, broiled |
6 ounces |
170 |
38.6 |
77 |
|
Cottage cheese |
1 cup |
225 |
28.1 |
56 |
|
Cheese pizza |
2 slices |
128 |
15.4 |
31 |
|
Yogurt, low fat |
8 ounces |
227 |
11.9 |
24 |
|
Tofu |
1/2 cup |
126 |
10.1 |
20 |
|
Lentils, cooked |
1/2 cup |
99 |
9 |
18 |
|
Skim milk |
1 cup |
245 |
8.4 |
17 |
|
Split peas, cooked |
1/2 cup |
98 |
8.1 |
16 |
|
Whole milk |
1 cup |
244 |
8 |
16 |
|
Lentil soup |
1 cup |
242 |
7.8 |
16 |
|
Kidney beans, cooked |
1/2 cup |
87 |
7.6 |
15 |
|
Cheddar cheese |
1 ounce |
28 |
7.1 |
14 |
|
Macaroni, cooked |
1 cup |
140 |
6.8 |
14 |
|
Soymilk |
1 cup |
245 |
6.7 |
13 |
|
Egg |
1 large |
50 |
6.3 |
13 |
|
Whole wheat bread |
2 slices |
56 |
5.4 |
11 |
|
White bread |
2 slices |
60 |
4.9 |
10 |
|
Rice, cooked |
1 cup |
158 |
4.3 |
9 |
|
Broccoli, cooked |
5 inch piece |
140 |
4.2 |
8 |
|
Baked potato |
2x5 inches |
156 |
3 |
6 |
|
Corn, cooked |
1 ear |
77 |
2.6 |
5 |
One may recall that one’s “Prescription for Wellness” offers the unrestricted consumption of proteins. It also calls for the elimination of sugars and the restriction of carbohydrates to 20 grams per day.
Chapter XII:
Amino Acids
Amino acids are the end products of protein digestion (hydrolysis).
They are the chemical units or "building blocks" of the body, and are responsible for the production of proteins. Protein substances make up the muscles, tendons, organs, glands, nails, and hair, and are responsible for the growth, repair and maintenance of all cells. Except for water, protein makes up the greatest portion of our body weight.
It is the amino acids, not the protein, that are the essential nutrients for our body. Each amino acid has a specific function in the body. Some amino acids act as neurotransmitters, some amino acids work in the process of carrying information from one nerve cell to another, while others are a precursor (comes before) of neurotransmitters.
Certain amino acids are necessary for the brain to receive and send messages. The blood-brain barrier is part of all of this. The blood-brain barrier is a defensive shield that is designed to protect the brain from toxins and other foreign invaders that are circulating in the blood stream. The cells in the brain that make up certain blood vessels are more tightly meshed together. This prevents water-based substances from getting through. Certain amino acids can get through this barrier and the brain will then use these amino acids to communicate with nerve cells in other parts of the body.
Amino acids have a direct relation with vitamins and minerals. They enable them to perform their specific jobs properly. Even if vitamins and minerals are absorbed by the body they cannot be effective unless the necessary amino acids are present. (For example, the amino acid tyrosine is necessary for the regulation of iron. Low levels of tyrosine will create iron deficiency).
Ø There are twenty-eight commonly known amino acids.
Ø Amino acids are defined as essential amino acids and nonessential amino acids.
Ø Amino Acids that must be obtained from the diet are called "Essential Amino Acids"
Ø The 20 percent of the amino acids not produced by the liver are obtained from the diet.
Ø Amino Acids that the body can manufacture from other sources are called "Non-Essential Amino Acids." (Nonessential does not mean that those amino acids are not needed.)
Ø The term nonessential amino acid means; an amino acid that can be manufactured by the body as needed and do not need to be obtained by our diet.
Ø The liver produces about 80 percent of the amino acids that we need.
Ø If one amino acid is too low or depleted, the body will not function properly.
TRYPTOPHAN
LYSINE
HISTIDINE
ISOLEUCINE
LEUCINE
METHIONINE
PHENYLALANINE
THREONINE
VALINE
A natural relaxant helps alleviate insomnia by inducing normal sleep; reduces anxiety & depression; helps in the treatment of migraine headaches; helps the immune system; helps reduce the risk of artery & heart spasms; works with Lysine in reducing cholesterol levels. Tryptophan is a routine constituent of most protein-based foods or dietary proteins
Is a principle supplier of sulfur which prevents disorders of the hair, skin and nails; helps lower cholesterol levels by increasing the liver's production of lecithin; reduces liver fat and protects the kidneys; a natural chelating agent for heavy metals; regulates the formation of ammonia and creates ammonia-free urine which reduces bladder irritation; influences hair follicles and promotes hair growth
PHENYLALAINE (Essential Amino Acid)
Used by the brain to produce Norepinephrine, a chemical that transmits signals between nerve cells and the brain; keeps you awake & alert; reduces hunger pains; functions as an antidepressant and helps improve memory
THREONINE (Essential Amino Acid)
Is an important constituent of collagen, Elastin, and enamel protein; helps prevents fat build-up in the liver; helps the digestive and intestinal tracts function more smoothly; assists metabolism and assimilation
VALINE (Essential Amino Acid)
Promotes mental vigor, muscle coordination and calm emotions.
It has a stimulating effect and is needed for muscle metabolism, repair and growth of tissue and maintaining the nitrogen balance in the body.
They provide ingredients for the manufacturing of other essential biochemical components in the body, some of which are utilized for the production of energy, stimulants to the upper brain and helping you to be more alert
Is found abundantly in hemoglobin; has been used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, allergies, ulcers and anemia; is essential for the growth and repair of tissues; important for the maintenance of the myelin sheaths, which protect nerve cells; is needed for the production of both red and white blood cells; protects the body from radiation damage; lowers blood pressure, aids in the removal of heavy metals from the body; aids in sexual arousal.
13 Non-Essential Amino Acids
ARGININE
TYROSINE
GLYCINE
SERINE
GLUTAMIC ACID
TAURINE
ASPARTIC ACID
CYSTEINE & CYSTINE
HISTIDINE
PROLIN
ALANINE
ORNITHINE
GLUTAMINE
Studies have shown that is has improved immune responses to bacteria, viruses & tumor cells; promotes wound healing and regeneration of the liver; causes the release of growth hormones; considered crucial for optimal muscle growth and tissue repair
Transmits nerve impulses to the brain; helps overcome depression; Improves memory; increases mental alertness; promotes the healthy functioning of the thyroid, adrenal and pituitary glands.
Helps trigger the release of oxygen to the energy requiring cell-making process; Important in the manufacturing of hormones responsible for a strong immune system.
A storage source of glucose by the liver and muscles; helps strengthen the immune system by providing antibodies; synthesizes fatty acid sheath around nerve fibers
Considered to be nature's "Brain food" by improving mental capacities; helps speed the healing of ulcers; gives a "lift" from fatigue; helps control alcoholism, schizophrenia and the craving for sugar.
Aids in the expulsion of harmful ammonia from the body. When ammonia enters the circulatory system it acts as a highly toxic substance which can be harmful to the central nervous system. Recent studies have shown that Aspartic Acid may increase resistance to fatigue and increase endurance.
Helps stabilize the excitability of membranes, which is very important in the control of epileptic seizures. Taurine and sulfur are considered to be factors necessary for the control of many biochemical changes that take place in the aging process; aids in the clearing of free radical wastes
Functions as an antioxidant and is a powerful aid to the body in detoxifying harmful toxins, protecting against radiation damage and pollution; protects the liver and brain from damage due to alcohol, drugs, and toxic compounds found in cigarette smoke; has been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and hardening of the arteries; promotes the recovery from severe burns and surgery; it can help slow down the aging process, it promotes the burning of fat and the building of muscle; deactivate free radicals, neutralize toxins; aids in protein synthesis and presents cellular change. It is necessary for the formation of the skin, which aids in the recovery from burns and surgical operations. Hair and skin are made up 10-14% Cystine
Is found abundantly in hemoglobin; has been used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, allergic diseases, ulcers & anemia. A deficiency can cause poor hearing.
PROLINE (Non-Essential Amino Acid)
Is extremely important for the proper functioning of joints and tendons; also helps maintain and strengthen heart muscles.
Is an important source of energy for muscle tissue, the brain and central nervous system; strengthens the immune system by producing antibodies; helps in the metabolism of sugars and organic acids
ORNITHINE (NON-ESSENTIAL AMINO ACID)
Chapter XIII:
As was alluded to in previous chapters, fat is a very necessary “evil”. It serves as a storage receptacle for unused glycosol (sugar) and other toxins that must be taken from the blood when their levels become intolerable. Thus fat production is a homeostatic bodily response to unused quantities of toxins in the blood.
The human body contains two types of fat tissue:
Ø White fat is important in energy metabolism, heat insulation and mechanical cushioning.
Ø Brown fat is found mostly in newborn babies, between the shoulders, and is important for thermogenesis (making heat).
Ø Fat tissue is made up of fat cells, which are a unique type of cell. You can think of a fat cell as a tiny plastic bag that holds a drop of fat.
Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble, meaning they can only be digested, absorbed, and transported in conjunction with fats. Fats are sources of essential fatty acids, an important dietary requirement.
Fats play a vital role in maintaining healthy skin and hair, insulating body organs against shock, maintaining body temperature, and promoting healthy cell function. They also serve as energy stores for the body. Fats are broken down in the body to release glycerol and free fatty acids. The glycerol can be converted to glucose by the liver and thus used as a source of energy.
Fat also serves as a useful buffer towards a host of diseases. When a particular substance, whether chemical or biotic -- reaches unsafe levels in the bloodstream, the body can effectively dilute -- or at least maintain equilibrium of the offending substances by storing it in new fat tissue.
An amazing fact is that fat cells generally do not generate after puberty; as your body stores more fat, the number of fat cells remains the same. Each fat cell simply gets bigger!
Dietary Fat’s
Dietary fat, the kind of fat you get from food, is important for your health and the normal growth and development of your body. Dietary fat has many different functions in your body, which include:
· Providing long lasting energy
· Helping you feel full after eating
· Helping make hormones
· Forming part of your brain and nervous system
· Forming cell membranes for every cell in your body
· Carrying vitamins throughout your body
· Helping regulate your body temperature and keep you warm
· Providing two essential fatty acids, called linoleic acid and linolenic acid, that your body cannot make by itself
Your body needs fat to function properly. Besides being energy source, fat is a nutrient used in the production of cell membranes, as well as in several hormone-like compounds called eicosanoids. These compounds help regulate blood pressure, heart rate, blood vessel constriction, blood clotting and the nervous system. In addition, dietary fat carries fat-soluble vitamins — vitamins A, D, E and K — from your food into your body. Fat also helps maintain healthy hair and skin, protects vital organs, keeps your body insulated, and provides a sense of fullness after meals.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommend that fat make up no more than 35 percent of your daily calories. Most foods contain several different kinds of fats — including saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and trans fats — and some kinds are better for your health than others are.
The four main types of fat found in food are monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, saturated fat, and trans fat. Most foods have a different balance of these types of fats, but are usually classified by the type of fat they are highest in.
Saturated and monounsaturated fats are not necessary in the diet as they can be made in the human body.
Two polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that cannot be made in the body are linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. They must be provided by diet and are known as essential fatty acids. Within the body both can be converted to other PUFAs such as arachidonic acid, or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
In the body PUFAs are important for maintaining the membranes of all cells; for making prostaglandins which regulate many body processes which include inflammation and blood clotting. Another requirement for fat in the diet is to enable the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K to be absorbed from food; and for regulating body cholesterol metabolism.
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are essential for human health, but their intake has gradually declined over the years. It is believed that man evolved on a diet with a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 PUFAs of about 1:1. Today this ratio is more like 10:1 and in some societies is approaching 25:1. A relative over-abundance of omega-6 PUFAs has been implicated in excessive blood clotting, allergic and inflammatory disorders, and certain cancers. An adequate intake of omega-3 PUFAs, on the other hand, has been linked to improved cardiovascular health. A recent study concluded that a daily intake of 500 to 1000 mg of long chain omega-3 PUFAs reduces the risk of cardiovascular death in middle-aged American men by about 40%. Other studies have shown that although fish oils help prevent undesirable blood clotting reactions they do not increase bleeding time and are quite safe even for people scheduled for major surgery. Animal studies have found that fish oil supplementation markedly reduces the risk of fatal arrhythmias. Fish oils have also been found beneficial in preventing or treating hypertension, arthritis, psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, cancer, and certain diabetes- related complications. EPA and DHA are both essential for pregnant mothers and infants and a deficiency can retard the development of the brain and retina.
Food sources of the two main dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid) are listed below.
Good sources:
Oils made from:
(Please note - fish is not the only source of omega 3 acids. Flaxseed oil contains twice as much as is found in fish oil!).
Good sources
Oils made from:
Alpha-linolenic Acid is converted in the body to EPA (eiocosapentaenoic acid) usually found in marine oil and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) usually found in marine fish oil.
Monounsaturated fat is considered the most "heart healthy" type of fat. Monounsaturated fats decrease LDL ("bad") cholesterol and increase HDL ("healthy") cholesterol.
Good sources of monounsaturated fat include:
|
Avocados |
Olive Oil |
|
Almonds |
Peanut butter |
|
Canola Oil |
Peanut Oil |
|
Cashews |
Sunflower Oil |
|
Hazelnuts |
|
Polyunsaturated fat is also a "heart healthy" type of fat. There are two essential fatty acids (linolenic and linoleic) that your body uses to make chemicals that control blood pressure, blood clotting, and your immune system response. Linolenic fatty acids are also called Omega-3 fats, and they have many health benefits. Omega-3 fatty acids may be especially beneficial to your heart. Omega-3s appear to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease. They may also protect against irregular heartbeats and help lower blood pressure levels.
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)
Fish oils either from whole fish or in the form of supplements (neither has been shown to have a more advantageous affect) have been found to aid in preventing or ameliorating coronary heart disease, stroke, lupus, nephropathy (kidney disorders), Crohn's disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, hypertension, and rheumatoid arthritis. Fish oils have been found particularly effective in preventing arrhythmias and sudden death from cardiac arrest. People who eat fish once or more each week can reduce their risk of sudden cardiac death by 50-70 per cent. EPA has been found to inhibit blood clotting and EPA and DHA contained in fish oils inhibit the development of atherosclerosis. Fish oil supplementation also significantly lowers overall triglyceride and cholesterol levels without affecting the level of HDL ("good" cholesterol). EPA and DHA play a crucial role in the prevention of atherosclerosis, heart attack, depression, and cancer. Clinical trials have shown that fish oil supplementation is effective in the treatment of many disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, ulcerative colitis, depression, Alzheimer's disease, ADS, schizophrenia, manic depression, and Raynaud's disease.
Good sources of polyunsaturated fat include:
|
Canola Oil |
Sardines |
|
Corn Oil |
Sesame Seeds |
|
Cottonseed Oil |
Soybeans |
|
Flaxseeds |
Soybean Oil |
|
Herring |
Sunflower Oil |
|
Mackerel |
Tuna |
|
Pine Nuts |
Trout |
|
Pumpkin Seeds |
Walnuts |
|
Salmon |
|
Good sources of Omega-3 fats include:
|
Canola Oil |
Legumes |
|
Fish |
Mackerel |
|
Flaxseeds |
Nuts (such as walnuts) |
|
Flaxseed oil |
Sardines |
|
Green, leafy vegetables |
Soy based foods |
|
Halibut |
Tofu |
|
Lake Trout |
Tuna |
DHA is the
building block of human brain tissue and is particularly abundant in the grey
matter of the brain and the retina. Low levels of DHA have recently been
associated with depression, memory loss, dementia, and visual problems. DHA is
particularly important for fetuses and infants; the DHA content of the infant's
brain triples during the first three months of life. Optimal levels of DHA are
therefore crucial for pregnant and lactating mothers. Unfortunately, the average
DHA content of breast milk in the United States is the lowest in the world, most
likely because Americans eat comparatively little fish. Making matters worse is
the fact that the United States is the only country in the world where infant
formulas are not fortified with DHA. This despite a 1995 recommendation by the
World Health Organization that all baby formulas should provide 40 mg of DHA per
kilogram of infant body weight. It is believes that postpartum depression,
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and low IQs are all linked to
the dismally low DHA intake common in the United States. Low DHA levels have
been linked to low brain serotonin levels, which again are connected to an
increased tendency to depression, suicide, and violence. DHA is abundant in
marine phytoplankton and cold-water fish and nutritionists now recommend that
people consume two to three servings of fish every week or the Fish Oil
supplimentation of 500 to 1,000 mg per day to maintain DHA levels. .
Chapter XIV
Exercise:
Manual activity (exercise) develops or maintains physical fitness and overall health. It is often practiced to strengthen muscles, for the cardiovascular system, and to hone athletic skills.
Frequent and regular physical exercise boosts the immune system,reduces infamation, aids in respiration, improves enduranacnce, and helps prevent diseases of such as heart disease, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and obesity.
It also improves mental health and helps prevent depression.
The pressure is off:
The good news is that on the “Prescription for Wellness Program” exercise is not a mandatory prerequisite for weight loss. The body will be forced to burn its own energy storage, fat, when sugar and carbohydrates become greatly restricted.
However, because of a renewed energy and feeling of well-being it is our hope that one might feel a greater need to experience life to the fullest.
Walking to further enjoy being alive, working out to enhance ones physical definition, or swimming or wading, tremendous exercise that all can participate in.
Do something physical that you enjoy every day, even if for only a few minutes. Perhaps, if you enjoy it enough, you could increase the time spent experiencing the “outside world” in small increments daily. The benefits of exercise will prove to be manifest but again not mandatory for weight loss.
Exercise can help you to:
The Top 10 Reasons that people do not exercise:
1. Don't have time!
Physically inactive people have just
as much free time as exercisers. Schedule your exercise time.
If you can't find a full 30
minutes during your day, break it up into 10 or 15 minute segments.
Get up a few minutes early and take a brisk walk, use 15 minutes of your lunch hour to walk the stairs and walk the dog or lift weights after work.
2. You can't make the commitment to stick to an exercise routine.
When you look at
exercise in the long term, that you have to exercise on a daily basis forever,
it can be overwhelming. However, you don't have to change your life overnight.
Start with small goals, such as to be more active every day by taking the
stairs and moving around more. Decide you'll get up 10 minutes early to walk
or lift weights. Over time, you can increase your workout time and try new
things. For now, just worry about making it a daily habit.
3. Exercise Hurts:
You don't have to hurt yourself to reap the benefits of exercise. When
doing your cardiovascular exercise, make sure you're in your target heart rate
zone. You should be able to carry on a conversation without huffing and
puffing. When it comes to weight training, there should be effort involved
since lean body tissue only grows when you challenge yourself. Using the
heaviest weight you can handle for 12-16 reps will help you get the most out
of your workouts. You should feel slight burning, but not teeth-gritting pain!
4. You can’t seem to stay motivated to continue working out
If you're tired, stressed or bored with your
workouts, it's hard to keep going. To combat that, change your routine every 4
to 6 weeks by trying something new or changing your intensity or time. Remind
yourself every day what your goals are and what you have to do to reach them.
Reward yourself often (massages make great gifts).
5. You want to exercise but you have family obligations.
You don't have to
neglect your family to fit in exercise. Join a health club that has a daycare
center or do a video while they nap. If they're old enough, have them
participate in your routine by lifting very small weights or counting your
repetitions, or take them with you on your daily walk. Show your family what
it means to be healthy by giving them a good role model.
6. You don't know how to exercise.
That certainly won't fly what with the wealth of information at your fingertips. Try one of the many exercise books, videos or websites that cover everything from cardio to stretching exercises. Or, hire a trainer at your local gym.
7. You're not seeing any changes in your body.
Not losing weight
fast enough? Welcome to reality. You don't put weight on overnight and it
won't come off that quickly either. Once you start exercising, give your body
time to react. It could take up to 12 weeks before you start seeing some real
changes in your body. In the meantime, try to enjoy the other benefits of
exercise.
8. You can't afford a gym membership
There's no reason
you have to join a gym to exercise. You can walk anytime, anywhere. Dumbbells
are cheap and can be used for a variety of exercises. There are also an
incredible number of workout videos available for the home exerciser.
9. You've tried to exercise but you keep quitting.
People often quit
because: they schedule too many workouts, work too hard and/or don't give
themselves rest days. Do whatever you can--you have to start where you are,
not where you want to be. Keep cardio light and schedule recovery days.
Progress each week by adding a few more minutes to each workout.
10. You really hate to exercise.
The key to happiness
is doing things you enjoy. If you hate running, you don't have to do it. Find
activities that match your personality. If you love the outdoors, go hiking or
biking. If you like simplicity, stick with walking or circuit training. Try
things before you decide you don't like them.
My particular exercise program of choice (the one that I enjoy the most) may be found to be a bit unorthodox. I go to a gym 2 to 3 times a week but each time that I go I work all of the muscle groups (I do all of the machines). I do “reps” of 10 with weights that are appropriate and when they become increasingly easy to do I “up the number” to 15 and then add 5 more pounds and begin again with 10. I then do about 15 minutes on the tread mill adjusting the speed as indicated, spend about 15 minutes in the steam room, another 15 minutes in the swimming pool, and then I take a hot shower finishing off with a cold. The fitness results have been amazing and I have find this to be incredibly invigorating, but as has been stated exercise is not mandatory.
XV:
Additional Supplementation: i26
Ø There exists a company, which is responsible for the production and distribution of any number of health and wellness products. The cornerstone of Legacy for Life, is a scientifically enhanced, all-natural food product, which is listed in the Physicians Desk Reference for non-prescription drugs and dietary supplements. Scientific and clinical trials have revealed that this product, i26® (www.legacyforlife.com) with supportive clinical information (www.hyperimmunegg.org) and an informative video (www.i26forhealth.com) can be instrumental in helping to balance one’s Immune System:
In an attempt to give a more informative and less personal explaination of this product (of which I have taken for the past 10 years) I am going to publish some of the information that is to be found in their Web-site:
Thank you readers:
Immunity is the ability of the body to overcome infection, injury and disease producing organisms. It is the system that recognizes substances as foreign and tries to neutralize or eliminate them. The immune system is responsible for maintaining balance in every part of the body. The importance of a properly functioning immune system can't be overstated.
It's not common for a product that is classified as a
nutritional product to earn patent protection but i26 is no ordinary product.
Patents have been awarded for the advanced technology used to develop i26, the
preparation process, and the actual supporting effects i26 has on the immune
system. No other supplement can claim this impressive combination of patents.
Most nutritional supplements have no patents at all because you can't patent
combinations of natural ingredients. i26 however was created from nature
making it a very unique convergence of science and nature. i26 is a product of true research and development. It was
created in the same format as many of today's pharmaceuticals but with one
major difference, i26 is all natural with no side effects. This is not a case
of a single person having a shazam moment or the discovery of an exotic fruit
from a far off place. i26 was developed out of hard work and the ingenuity of
a dedicated group of research scientist who would not stop until they found an
answer to balancing the immune system. They understood that if they could help
a person find balance it would have far reaching positive health effects that
could change how we practice staying well.
i26 has been proven effective in pre-clinical and clinical trials to positively support proper immune function. Trials have been conducted by Harvard, The United States Military, The Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC and the University of Southern Mississippi among others. Trials have been conducted on many topics:
The United States Food and Drug Administration is the government agency responsible for regulating food, dietary supplements, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, biologics and blood products in the United States. The main function of the FDA is protect public health. The FDA has many important duties one of which is protecting the public against false claims made on pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical products. By law the FDA is responsible for approving drugs before they can be offered to the public but for products like i26 which are not drugs there role is different. The FDA by law can not approve nutritional products or a nutraceutical product like i26. However, if a product has the proper scientific proof properly presented to the FDA they can gain saGRAS designation. This designation recognizes that the product is a safe food product and can be consumed without reservation. The process undertaken to attain saGRAS designation is long and costly. It is another example of the extraordinary lengths the scientific arm of Legacy for Life has gone through to ensure our product is safe. Most nutritional products on the market today do not have this designation.
The 2011 Physicians Desk Reference now includes a listing
and photo of i26 Hyperimmune Egg. The Physicians Desk Reference, or “PDR”,
is the foremost authority on Pharmaceuticals. There are only a select group of
non Pharmaceuticals listed in the reference and i26 is one of them.
This is another step forward in highlighting i26 Hyperimmune Egg as a legitimate
force in the helping people take control of their health. This listing now gives
consumers the chance to share i26 Hyperimmune Egg with their health care
professional. The products are listed on page 310 and 3548. Health care
professionals can also search for i26 Hyperimmune Egg on line through the
electronic version of the PDR.
What does an ingrown hair, a sprained ankle, even allergies have in common? They all cause the affected area to swell, turn red and become warm. This is due to an immunological response called inflammation, or more technically, an inflammatory immune response.
Chronic Inflammation
When the
immune system does not "turn" itself down properly inflammation
becomes chronic and that leads to a host of problems. Everyday aches and pains,
heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, joint and digestive problems have all been
linked to chronic inflammation. It is also the culprit behind slow healing of
injuries or inefficient recovery from intense exercise. There is no question in
the scientific community that chronic inflammation (inflammatory immune
responses that go on too long) are responsible for a majority of today's most
feared health problems.Think of your immune system like an army. Each part of the system has a job to do. Inflammatory immune responses or inflammation is the firepower used to overcome the enemy. But what if the immune system is not functioning properly and instead of sending a sharp shooter it sends a tank. When your immune system gets confused and sends too much inflammation out, it attacks and damages healthy cells and tissues around the infected area, which can lead to a host of auto-immune disorders. Problems associated with an overactive immune system are joint and muscular inflammation, digestive issues, circulatory and respiratory inflammation.
Individuals who have trouble fighting off disease or sickness may not have enough of an inflammatory immune response. In these cases, without the right amount of inflammation, the individual is sick more often, and when they get sick, they stay ill for a longer period of time. Some problems associated with an underactive immune response are frequent colds or flu, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, and cancer.
When a
person has an immune system that is working properly it is in balance. A
balanced immune response sends the proper amount of inflammation to deal with a
problem and it also understands when to turn the heat down, and let the healing
begin.
Your
immune system is tied to every other part of your body. It is the system that
protects and heals you when there is a health challenge. When your immune
system is out of balance, your immune response is either insufficient to
handle your health issue or it is overactive causing damage to healthy cells
and tissue. If you have a specific health challenge it in some way is tied to
your immune system response. Balance the immune response and you are on your
way to living a healthier life. Living well means more than treating a
symptom. It's solving your health issue and it all starts with your body's own
immune system.
i26 is an all natural, highly-patented ingredient that contains concentrated
amounts of immune cofactors (bioactive molecules) and IgY antibodies delivered
through 100% all natural egg protein.
Immune factors are bioactive molecules that signal other parts of the immune
system to take action. Think of them as the traffic cops for the immune
system. When your body has the right kind and enough of these cofactors it
understands how and when to go into action.
Virtually everyone can benefit from a balanced immune system but some people
have an immediate need to balance. People who can benefit very quickly are
those who deal with auto-immune problems associated with an imbalance in their
immune response.
i26 is
an all-natural egg powder made from special hyperimmune eggs that deliver
antibodies and complex bioactive immune factors to help your body balance its
immune inflammatory responses.Vitamins are important for nutritional support and indirectly help the immune system. i26 Hyperimmune Egg is in a category all its own. It partners directly with the body by providing antibodies and other immune factors not found in any vitamin, mineral, or herb.
No. i26 does not artificially "boost" the immune system. It helps the immune system heal and balance itself to achieve optimal performance.
The Web site HyperimmuneEgg.org provides scientific information on the hyperimmune egg ingredient. Details appear in the Physicians' Desk Reference, while other information is available as publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
The short answer is a resounding "NO". There may be some products that claim to "boost" the immune system. These so-called "immune products" come from chemical extracts of white blood cells that tend to artificially "force" the body into a "boosted", inappropriate state.
A wide
variety of colorful phytonutrient-rich fruits and vegetables are important for
our health. Whole fruits and vegetables are the best way to get these
phytonutrients (and their accompanying fiber). Nutrients of all kinds,
especially phytonutrients, indirectly affect immune health.The majority of individuals report that at one, but typically two servings a day of i26 Hyperimmune Egg, they experience major quality of life changes; and they use more as desired when the body is having problems balancing.
One serving of i26 (4.5 grams) is found in the following products:
Before beginning i26, it is suggested that you temporarily refrain from other supplements and herbs (except for those containing only vitamins). Then, begin by consuming 1/4 of a serving every day 3-4 days. Increase to 1/2 of a serving every day for 3-4 days, then a whole serving for 3-4 days. Finally, add a second scoop of i26 and see how you are feeling.
The hyperimmune eggs that are used to obtain pure i26 Hyperimmune Egg come from specially selected hens. These eggs contain antibodies, but they have many-fold the concentration of bioactive immune factors found in regular supermarket eggs.
Supermarket eggs are from hens that have only been exposed to other hens, not to organisms of human interest.
Only prescription medications can be FDA approved. Dietary supplements like vitamins and i26 are not within their approval jurisdiction. However i26 holds sa-GRAS designation and a Master Food File with the FDA. These designations are difficult to attain and few supplements have been able to qualify for sa-GRAS status (place link into sa-GRAS designation) or a Master Food File.
Absolutely not. Never change or stop your prescribed medications without first consulting your prescribing physician. Medications do not interfere with i26 or vice versa, so you can introduce i26 gradually, while still taking your medications. Your doctor can consult their PDR for detailed information on i26. The only known adverse reactions occur in individuals that suffer from severe egg allergies.
i26 is
a whole food product and has the exact nutritional make up of a traditional
table egg. There is no sugar, whey, gluten, sugar or other food ingredients in
i26.Typically, within 3-9 days of consuming at two servings per day of i26 Hyperimmune Egg individuals report experiencing changes in their energy levels and feeling of well-being. Each individual is different and depending on conditions resulting from an over active or under active immune system changes are felt at different intervals.
Because i26 has the same nutritional value as a regular table egg no adverse effects will result from large-scale consumption. It was proven through a double blind, placebo-controlled study that i26 Hyperimmune Egg actually helps the body maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Some individuals who were dealing with major immune system issues have consumed as much as 30 servings a day with positive results.
Typically, people feel best when they consume two servings per day. Listen to your body. Your energy levels are a window into our body. As you start to balance, your energy will increase.
During times of increased internal or external stress, when you feel "under the weather" or not your regular self, your immune system is working even harder. You may wish to increase the number of servings you are consuming to help return to immune homeostasis or balance.
If using pure i26 powder, start with 1/8 of a serving for several days, then 1/4. If you desire more, then gradually increase to 1/2 of a serving, 3/4 of a serving and finally a full scoop. See how your child focuses their energy to decide what amount is appropriate.
Yes. If you can eat eggs, then you can consume i26. Many women have used i26 before, during and after their pregnancy and their babies are doing great! Of course, as with any diet changes during pregnancy, you should first consult your health professional.
Yes, but it may be different for each person. It is recommended that you consume i26 for a minimum of 30 continuous days to experience its full effects.
The science supports the fact that for most of the population, the contribution of dietary cholesterol (what you eat) to your cholesterol levels in the blood is minimal. One would need to consume 15 servings of i26 to get the amount of cholesterol in a single supermarket egg. (Additionally, a double-blind placebo-controlled study, partially funded by the U.S. Army, Nutrition Division, reported that cholesterol levels were not raised in subjects on i26; in fact, cardiovascular health was supported.**)
It is recommended that you start with a "clean slate." It is best not to take products like herbs, animal, or plant extracts when you are starting i26. You may incorporate them later, one at a time, when you know how much i26 makes you feel best.
No, you will not become tolerant or dependent. People have taken i26 Hyperimmune Egg for over 10 years and are still using the same number of servings as when they started. When you consume i26, you simply provide the body with a buffet of compounds that help support balanced immune function. These immune elements remain in the body for about 3 days.
i26COMPLETE SUPPORT has only 8 grams of sugar per scoop, much less than a typical bowl of cereal. Many people with diabetes find that consuming i26 helps their quality of life. Just start gradually and monitor your glucose levels to make sure you are not re-balancing too rapidly.
i26 does not cure, treat or prevent disease. However, an optimized immune system will make a difference in your quality of life. Start gradually, consuming one scoop of i26 (4.5g) each day. Slowly increase to 3, then 4 scoops per day (more as desired) and see how you feel.
i26 is pure egg; if you can eat eggs, then you can consume i26. i26 does not "boost" immune function, but instead helps the body to optimize it. As a transplant patient, though, it is essential that you check with your doctor before adding any supplements to your diet.
Taking enzymes while consuming i26 may destroy some of the larger immune components and proteins found in this ingredient. However, you can take enzymes 4-6 hours after your i26. For example, use i26 during the morning hours and if you think the enzymes are still necessary after balancing your digestive tract with i26, use enzymes at your evening meal.
Legacy for Life is a dietary supplement company, not a pharmaceutical company. For medical questions please consult with your health practitioner.
The United States Military tested the equivalent of i26COMPLETE SUPPORT in the gold standard of all clinical trials, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. None of the subjects, nor the doctors, knew who they were taking the product with i26, or one without i26. The results of the study showed no increase in cholesterol levels. Instead, it showed their cardiovascular systems were supported. The scientific paper on this study can be found at www.HyperimmuneEgg.org In formal clinical trials, no physician has ever reported increased cholesterol levels in subjects using i26.
During a trip to Mexico I got a severe case of food poisoning. Unfortunately
for me it wrecked by entire system. I became so sick that I was flown out of
the country back to Florida for treatment. The doctors were able to help me
get rid of the food poisoning but I was left with severe joint and muscle
pain. I was so sensitive to the touch that even laying down hurt. My life
literally had gone from very active to just trying to get by. I went from
doctor to doctor going through a countless number of tests but all the
physicians said the same thing, they could not find anything wrong with me.
Finally, one of the specialist suggested I go see a Rheumatologist. He was
able to tell me that I did not have a life threatening problem but I did have
a problem that he could not help with. There were no pharmaceticals available
that were really effective and all came with bad side effects. I had already
tried most of them and was not interested in trying them again. He suggested I
go search for anything that might help.
Chapter XVI:
The “Prescription for Wellness” diet/ lifestyle plan is based on the premise that almost all overweight people are guilty of eating far too many carbohydrates and sugars. Proteins and fat, do not make us fat and most vegetables are neither full of sugars and or carbohydrates, and their consumption is highly encouraged (one must get their vitamins, minerals, and fiber). One can consume meat, fish (including shellfish), eggs, fowl, and cheese in unrestricted quantities. You can cook with butter, have mayonayse with your tuna, and put olive oil and vinegar, or blue cheese dressing (not “light” or low fat) on your salads. On the other hand, the consumtion of sugars is not allowed and carbohydrates are restricted to 20 grams of net carbs per day, meaning total carbs minus fiber.
Our bodies burn both fat (stored energy deposits) and carbohydrates for energy, but carbs are used first. By cutting out all sugars, dramatically reducing carbs, and eating more protein and fat (particularily Omega 3/ fish oils), our bodies naturally lose weight by burning stored body fat more efficiently. What begins to happen is that our bodies changes from a carbohydrate-burning machine into a fat-burning engine.
By restricting carbohydrates dramatically, to a mere fraction of those found in the “Standard American Diet”, the body goes into a state of ketosis, which means it burns its own fat for fuel. A person in ketosis is getting energy from ketones, little carbon fragments that are the fuel created by the breakdown of fat stores. When the body is in ketosis, you tend to feel less hungry, as now fat stores become your bodies primary source of energy. By overcoming our carbohydrate dependence we no longer experience the sugar induced “highs and lows”, and have a more definitive grasp of our true daily requirements.
In slightly more detail, consider what happens when you eat a high-carbohydrate meal. Sugar from the carbohydrates quickly enters the bloodstream. To keep the blood sugar from rising too high, the body secretes insulin. Insulin allows the extra sugar to be stored in the liver and muscle as glycogen, but these stores are rapidly filled to capacity. The insulin then converts any extra sugar to fat -- the stuff we're trying so hard to get rid of.
Let us digress:
Overweight is normally brought about generationally:
Your grandparents or great-grandparents, living through the depression, were probably, as were most people, very poor. Survival was of the utmost importance and food was a key component. Leaving the table feeling full and satiated was secondary only to knowing that the rest of the family was provided with the same. Meats were expensive, impossible to store, and sometimes impossible to aquire. Potatoes and flour were a lot more accessable and provided great “fillers” for one’s diet. The fact that food was scarce and money even more so, provided the rational for the lack of obesity in the 1930’s population.
The next generation had it much better. Money was much more plentiful, refridgeration of parishable foods was possible, but still old habits prevailed. The economy was flurishing and bakery products became a big business. Breads were always on the dinner table, potatoes and/ or rice were always served as side dishes, and after dinner deserts were common place. Meats and green vegetables were served but the old stigma still remained that one “held down” on eating large quanities of these and instead filled up on the carbohydrates. It was almost seen as glutonous to ask for a second steak, but it was acceptable to get another helping of potatoes, two or three pieces of bread, or a second piece of pie. This, of course was acceptable because the “food pyramid” had been formulated and Doctors and Nutricianists were vigorously urging people to eat more carbs.
We have spoken previously of how carbohydrates equal sugar, which lacks any nutritional value.
Next we saw the advent of fast food restaraunts, which have quickly became “the places to eat.” I, occasionally find myself indulging myself at any number of them. I get a diet drink, don’t order the fries, deserts, shakes, or ice crème, get some burgers (usually order 3 or 4) discard the bread and eat the meat, cheese, tomato, lettuce, mayonaise, and bacon.. It is cheaper than going the other route, and I am staying on the program, and losing weight.
When participating in the, “the Prescription for Wellness” program one must learn to become somewhat of a “glutten or pig”; remember that this diet will actually lower cholesterol levels.
Breakfasts can consist of any or all of these foods, with no restriction on the amount: eggs, bacon, ham, sausage, steak, pork chops (any meat), coffee or any other non sweetened beverage, artificial sweetener, and heavy cream. Lunch and dinner can include any of the same with a salad with blue cheese dressing (not light or low fat) or vinegar and oil, any non-starchy or sugary vegetable, excluding corn, lima, lentil, pinto, and kidney beans, acorn squash, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, rice, or any grain products.
I say that you must become somewhat of a “heathen” because this diet is in fact, somewhat limiting and one must indulge oneself to be truly satisfied, and as a compensation for certain depravations. Who would ever consider eating crab, tuna, egg, or shrimp salad by the bowl full, without the bread, spoon full after spoon full, burgers without the bread, sliced ham or roast beef rolled up in cheese, or going to a barbeque restaurant and getting the all you can eat meat and cole slaw or salad. My favorite restaurants are of the all you can eat varieties, that serve everything. I of course, leave the breads, and deserts alone (with the exception of unsweetened jello, pudding, and real whipped cream) but I indulge myself with 5 or 6 different meats, some soups and salads, and 5 or 6 different vegetables to choose from; all of these I consume without restriction and with much gusto.
There are certain things that one should suppliment in this or any diet (items found lacking in the “Standard Ameican Diet). The addition of these necessary ingredients brought to a level of optimum ingestion will bring about major health and wellness benefits.
The nutrients that should be supplemented are as follows:
Ø Vitamins
Ø Minerals
Ø Essential fatty acids (DHA and EPA / Fish Oil )
Ø Co-Enzymes (Co-Q-10)
Ø & Fiber
I thank you for reviewing and considering my “Prescription for Wellness”. I invite you join me on it’s journey toward dramatic weight loss and improved health. I am thoughly convinced that given the proper nutrition (all that the body needs) it is quite capable of healing itself and correcting deteriorating conditions.
I further encourage you to go to the Legacy for Life’s company web site (www.legacyforlife.com) to thoughly investigate a product unlike any other (www.hyperimmunegg.net), with an introductory video to be found at www.i26forhealth.com.
i26®, the company’s cornerstone product, helps to balance the Immune System (90 day, money back guarantee) and offer the body the needed ingredients to assist in:
Ø • Helping maintain digestive tract health
Ø • Maintaining flexible and healthy joints
Ø • Supporting cardiovascular function
Ø • Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels
Ø • Helping maintain a healthy circulatory system,
May I also submit for your consideration, Legacy for Life has developed a meal replacement drink containing a full serving of i26, 20 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, 8 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of sugar, and contains a wide variety of vitamins, and minerals. It could be taken one or two times a day in conjunction to your carefully planned, unrestricted low carbohydrate diet.
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It is our hope and prayer that this “diet”, this “prescription for wellness” will initiate major health benefits and afford a renewed zest for living to it’s inductees.
Thank You:
PS I make my "Fit", Strawberries and Cream, with an 8 oz. shaker of water (add the liquid first & refrigerate after opening) and it makes a splendid drink:
Every-time that I drink it, I think of "cotton candy at the carnival"
